Methodologies for researching feminisation of agriculture what do they tell us?

An increasing body of literature suggests that agriculture is “feminizing” in many low and middle-income countries. Definitions of feminisation of agriculture vary, as do interpretations of what drives the expansion of women’s roles in agriculture over time. Understanding whether, how, and why femin...

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Autores principales: Farnworth, Cathy Rozel, Lecoutere, Els, Galiè, Alessandra, Van Campenhout, Bjorn, Elias, Marlène, Ihalainen, Markus, Roeven, Lara, Bharati, Preeti, Valencia, Ana Maria Paez, Crossland, Mary, Vinceti, Barbara, Monterroso, Iliana
Formato: Artículo preliminar
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: International Food Policy Research Institute 2021
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/143431
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author Farnworth, Cathy Rozel
Lecoutere, Els
Galiè, Alessandra
Van Campenhout, Bjorn
Elias, Marlène
Ihalainen, Markus
Roeven, Lara
Bharati, Preeti
Valencia, Ana Maria Paez
Crossland, Mary
Vinceti, Barbara
Monterroso, Iliana
author_browse Bharati, Preeti
Crossland, Mary
Elias, Marlène
Farnworth, Cathy Rozel
Galiè, Alessandra
Ihalainen, Markus
Lecoutere, Els
Monterroso, Iliana
Roeven, Lara
Valencia, Ana Maria Paez
Van Campenhout, Bjorn
Vinceti, Barbara
author_facet Farnworth, Cathy Rozel
Lecoutere, Els
Galiè, Alessandra
Van Campenhout, Bjorn
Elias, Marlène
Ihalainen, Markus
Roeven, Lara
Bharati, Preeti
Valencia, Ana Maria Paez
Crossland, Mary
Vinceti, Barbara
Monterroso, Iliana
author_sort Farnworth, Cathy Rozel
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description An increasing body of literature suggests that agriculture is “feminizing” in many low and middle-income countries. Definitions of feminisation of agriculture vary, as do interpretations of what drives the expansion of women’s roles in agriculture over time. Understanding whether, how, and why feminisation of agriculture is occurring, and finding ways to properly understand and document this process, requires effective research methodologies capable of producing nuanced data. This article builds on five research projects that set out to deepen narratives of feminisation of agriculture by empirically exploring the dynamics and impacts of diverse processes of feminisation—or masculinisation—of agriculture on gender relations in agriculture and food systems. To contribute to the development of effective research methodologies, the researchers working on these projects associate the insights they have derived in their empirical research with the methodologies they have used. They reflect on how their methodological innovations enabled them to obtain new, or more nuanced, insights into processes of feminisation of agriculture. A first insight is that the definition of ‘feminisation of agriculture’ is a decisive factor in determining the evidence we produce on the process. Second, the feminisation of agriculture should be understood as a nonlinear continuum. Research methodologies need to be capable of capturing dynamics, complexity, as well as multiple and diverse context—and time—specific drivers. Third, bias in data can arise from gender norms which mediate whether women are acknowledged by wider society as farmers in their own right. Such norms may result in significant underestimations of women’s roles in agriculture. This observation warrants a critical awareness that data used to measure or proxy aspects of feminisation of agriculture may reflect such biases. Finally, some research methodologies can be useful to identify and leverage entry points to support women’s agency and empowerment in processes of feminisation of agriculture.
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spelling CGSpace1434312025-12-02T21:02:41Z Methodologies for researching feminisation of agriculture what do they tell us? Farnworth, Cathy Rozel Lecoutere, Els Galiè, Alessandra Van Campenhout, Bjorn Elias, Marlène Ihalainen, Markus Roeven, Lara Bharati, Preeti Valencia, Ana Maria Paez Crossland, Mary Vinceti, Barbara Monterroso, Iliana gender women's empowerment research agriculture empowerment feminization methodology women An increasing body of literature suggests that agriculture is “feminizing” in many low and middle-income countries. Definitions of feminisation of agriculture vary, as do interpretations of what drives the expansion of women’s roles in agriculture over time. Understanding whether, how, and why feminisation of agriculture is occurring, and finding ways to properly understand and document this process, requires effective research methodologies capable of producing nuanced data. This article builds on five research projects that set out to deepen narratives of feminisation of agriculture by empirically exploring the dynamics and impacts of diverse processes of feminisation—or masculinisation—of agriculture on gender relations in agriculture and food systems. To contribute to the development of effective research methodologies, the researchers working on these projects associate the insights they have derived in their empirical research with the methodologies they have used. They reflect on how their methodological innovations enabled them to obtain new, or more nuanced, insights into processes of feminisation of agriculture. A first insight is that the definition of ‘feminisation of agriculture’ is a decisive factor in determining the evidence we produce on the process. Second, the feminisation of agriculture should be understood as a nonlinear continuum. Research methodologies need to be capable of capturing dynamics, complexity, as well as multiple and diverse context—and time—specific drivers. Third, bias in data can arise from gender norms which mediate whether women are acknowledged by wider society as farmers in their own right. Such norms may result in significant underestimations of women’s roles in agriculture. This observation warrants a critical awareness that data used to measure or proxy aspects of feminisation of agriculture may reflect such biases. Finally, some research methodologies can be useful to identify and leverage entry points to support women’s agency and empowerment in processes of feminisation of agriculture. 2021-12-27 2024-05-22T12:14:05Z 2024-05-22T12:14:05Z Working Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/143431 en https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.134037 https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.133615 https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.134389 Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Farnworth, Cathy Rozel; Lecoutere, Els; Galiè, Alessandra; Van Campenhout, Bjorn; Elias, Marlène; Ihalainen, Markus; Roeven, Lara; Bharati, Preeti; Valencia, Ana Maria Paez; Crossland, Mary; Vinceti, Barbara; and Monterroso, Iliana. 2021. Methodologies for researching feminisation of agriculture what do they tell us? IFPRI Discussion Paper 2077. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.134907.
spellingShingle gender
women's empowerment
research
agriculture
empowerment
feminization
methodology
women
Farnworth, Cathy Rozel
Lecoutere, Els
Galiè, Alessandra
Van Campenhout, Bjorn
Elias, Marlène
Ihalainen, Markus
Roeven, Lara
Bharati, Preeti
Valencia, Ana Maria Paez
Crossland, Mary
Vinceti, Barbara
Monterroso, Iliana
Methodologies for researching feminisation of agriculture what do they tell us?
title Methodologies for researching feminisation of agriculture what do they tell us?
title_full Methodologies for researching feminisation of agriculture what do they tell us?
title_fullStr Methodologies for researching feminisation of agriculture what do they tell us?
title_full_unstemmed Methodologies for researching feminisation of agriculture what do they tell us?
title_short Methodologies for researching feminisation of agriculture what do they tell us?
title_sort methodologies for researching feminisation of agriculture what do they tell us
topic gender
women's empowerment
research
agriculture
empowerment
feminization
methodology
women
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/143431
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