Women in agriculture need support

KARACHI:

Highlighting the essential role of women working in the agricultural sector, speakers said that 67% of women are actively involved in the sector, but often remain underpaid and face low wages. The speakers urged all stakeholders to scale up the representation of women in the economic and marketing sectors and to address the low participation of women in market activities.

They said this during an opening ceremony of the two-day “1st International Conference on Agriculture Development and Women Empowerment and Progress Prospect (ICADWE-2025)” organized by Sindh Agricultural University (SAU) at Tandojam on Wednesday.

Provincial Minister for Women Development Department Shaheena Sher Ali highlighted the critical role of rural women in Sindh’s agriculture sector, describing them as true “working women” who deserve the same recognition and support given to professionals in other sectors. He announced the establishment of 115 nurseries across Sindh to support working mothers engaged in agricultural labour.

He praised the immense contribution of women who juggle their jobs and domestic responsibilities, ensure their children are educated and work alongside men in the fields to ensure a better future for their families.

“We must celebrate the pride of children who can stand on stage and proudly say that they are sons and daughters of farmers,” he said, while calling for social recognition of their efforts.

SAU Deputy Vice-Chancellor (VC) Dr Altaf Ali Siyal highlighted the indispensable role of women workers in agriculture, noting that 67% of women are actively involved in the sector but often remain underpaid or face low wages. She argued for equal land ownership rights for women, recognizing their essential contribution in all phases of agriculture, from planting to harvesting. Siyal called on families, governments and communities to address barriers to women’s empowerment and include them in decision-making processes.

Speaking about the health and socio-economic challenges faced by women who work 12 to 14 hours a day in the fields, Anne Klervimarie Cherriere from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) noted their disproportionate exposure to the effects of climate change, food insecurity and the gender. -based inequalities.

Social and economic reformer Zahida Detho called for reform of the system to integrate women into marketing roles. He pointed out that while women perform the majority of labor-intensive tasks in agriculture, men dominate market activities. She highlighted inadequacies in legal and social support systems, including shelters, protection cells and complaints mechanisms for women, advocating comprehensive reforms to ensure equal treatment.

Speaking to The Express Tribune about women cotton pickers, Sindh Agricultural and Forestry Workers Coordination Organization (SAFWCO) founder and president Suleman G Abro said there are many government departments such as women development, social welfare, labour, health and others that do not play their necessary role in empowering agricultural workers. He said that the agriculture sector should be considered as an agro-based industry that would benefit both the government and the farm workers.

He said women cotton pickers are deprived of all basic facilities like gloves, long boots and others during the picking season. While there is a big question about their meager wages, whatever they earn, they have to spend on medical treatment due to various skin and other health problems due to unsanitary conditions in open fields. He said rural women workers are being ignored because they are illiterate and unable to fight for their just rights. He said action should be taken against the corporate sector as the cotton gins are also not fulfilling their Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) in these sectors.

Eminent sustainable agriculture expert Dr Muhammad Ismail Kumbhar has called for promoting women entrepreneurship in the agricultural sector as these uneducated women cannot open bank accounts and access technology. He said that there is an urgent need to impart vocational training to these neglected women on certain issues of finance and technology. He said the agriculture sector consists of agriculture, animal husbandry, poultry and fisheries where over 60% of women work. They can play a vital role in strengthening the rural economy if given proper wages, facilities and training.