Women in Agricultural Development: A Force for Change

Abstract

Over the past decade, there has been an increasing tendency to examine the role of women in rural development, to understand their particular contribution , and to implement programs and projects to improve the quality of their lives. Studies confirm that women produce between 60 to 80 percent of the food in most developing countries and are responsible for half of the world's food production, yet their key role as food producers and providers and their critical contribution to household food security is only recently being recognized.' Until the last 20 years, rural women have been neglected both in terms of understanding their exact position as a human resource in rural areas, and identifying the particular constraints they face .