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Women in Agriculture Say Barriers to Equality Persist

Dan Industry News Release

Women in agriculture around the world, whether in developing or developed countries, say widespread gender discrimination persists and poses obstacles to their ability to help feed the world.

womenA new study from Corteva Agriscience released Monday studies 17 nations to underscore the importance of women in agriculture and to identify barriers to their full and successful participation. The study was released Monday in celebration of the International Day of Rural Women.

The survey’s findings reveal that although women are overwhelmingly proud to be in agriculture, they perceive gender discrimination as widespread, ranging from 78 percent in India to 52 percent in the United States. Only half say they are equally successful as their male counterparts; 42 percent say they have the same opportunities as their male counterparts, and only 38 percent say they are empowered to make decisions about how income is used in farming and agriculture. 72 percent said it would take one to three decades or more to achieve full equality.

Key actions were identified to remove obstacles to equality, including training, education, support and public awareness.

Source: National Association of Farm Broadcasting News Service.