Empowering Women in Agricultural Governance

Women form the backbone of Pakistan’s agriculture, performing vital roles in food cultivation, livestock care, and post-harvest handling. In rural areas, they make up 73% of the agricultural workforce (Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, 2023), yet their contributions often go unrecognized in formal agricultural structures. Despite their indispensable labor, women own less than 5% of agricultural land (World Bank, 2023), and their voices are rarely heard in decision-making platforms at household, community, or policy levels.

This disconnect between contribution and representation undermines the potential of Pakistan’s agriculture to become more inclusive, resilient, and productive. Structural barriers such as patriarchal norms, discriminatory inheritance laws, and gender-insensitive policies prevent women from accessing land titles, credit, extension services, and formal training opportunities. As a result, women are underrepresented in farmer organizations, only 12% hold membership, and have negligible input in policymaking forums that shape agricultural agendas (IFAD, 2022).

Empowering women in agricultural governance is not only an issue of gender justice but also an economic necessity. Studies by the FAO (2023) confirm that closing the gender gap in agricultural access and decision-making can increase productivity by up to 30%. It also leads to improved household nutrition, better child education outcomes, and more resilient farming communities.

To move from passive participation to active influence, Pakistan must institute legal reforms to guarantee women’s land rights, ensure gender quotas in farmer organizations and agricultural boards, and tailor extension programs to meet women’s needs. Moreover, incorporating women’s voices in climate adaptation, seed selection, and irrigation planning will enhance sustainability and local ownership.

Recognizing women as full agricultural stakeholders, farmers, leaders, and innovators, will unlock untapped potential and pave the way for a more equitable and food-secure Pakistan. True agricultural development is impossible without gender-inclusive governance.

The Power of Women’s Inclusion in Agricultural Decision-Making

Integrating women into agricultural decision-making is not just a question of gender equity, it’s a proven driver of productivity, sustainability, and food security. When women actively participate in decisions regarding crop selection, resource use, and farm management, outcomes consistently improve across social and economic indicators. According to the 2023 UN Women report, households where women influence farming choices see up to 23% higher crop yields. This is largely attributed to more diversified planting strategies and a stronger emphasis on food crops over cash crops, improving household nutrition. Women also tend to adopt sustainable agricultural practices at higher rates, such as crop rotation, composting, and water conservation, which significantly bolster climate resilience.

The relationship between women’s economic empowerment and decision-making power is further underscored by research from Ali & Khan (2022), which shows that female-led farms in Punjab experienced 30% greater profitability when women had access to training, resources, and market networks.

Successful case studies further reinforce this trend. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the inclusion of women in Water User Associations resulted in a 20% increase in water use efficiency, benefiting both productivity and equity (World Bank, 2023). In Punjab, IFAD-supported women-led cooperatives boosted collective bargaining power, raising incomes by 40% through improved access to inputs and markets. Beyond Pakistan, Bangladesh offers a regional model of success, where gender-responsive climate adaptation initiatives improved food security by 35% in rural communities (UN Women, 2023).

These examples demonstrate that women’s participation in agricultural governance leads to tangible, measurable benefits. Their inclusion not only enhances productivity and income but also promotes ecological sustainability and social cohesion. For Pakistan to build a more resilient, inclusive agricultural system, integrating women into every stage of decision-making must become a central policy priority.

Barriers to Inclusion and Policy Imperatives for Gender-Responsive Agriculture

Despite their critical role in agriculture, rural women in Pakistan continue to face deep-rooted structural barriers that limit their participation in decision-making and access to resources. One of the most significant obstacles is land ownership disparity only 3% of rural women hold land titles (State Bank of Pakistan, 2023). This restricts their eligibility for government subsidies, agricultural loans, and input schemes, reinforcing economic dependency and exclusion from formal agricultural governance structures.

Extension services also remain largely gender blind. With over 80% of agricultural advisors being male and fewer than 15% of programs tailored to women (FAO, 2023), rural women are systematically excluded from vital training and information channels. This gap widens due to low literacy rates among rural women, only 39% are literate (Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, 2023), and prevailing sociocultural norms that limit their mobility and discourage participation in farmer unions and cooperatives.

To bridge this gender gap, Pakistan must undertake comprehensive policy reforms. Land reforms should begin with amending inheritance laws to secure women’s rights to land and introducing transparent, digital land registries. Instituting a 30% quota for women in farmer organizations, irrigation committees, and agricultural boards can ensure their voices are heard in governance forums. Gender-sensitive extension services must be expanded using mobile platforms like the Khushhali Maharat initiative, with the aim of reaching five million rural women by 2025.

Moreover, establishing women-led cooperatives funded by the government will provide access to microloans, quality seeds, and local markets empowering women economically and socially. Finally, all agricultural training for local officials should incorporate gender-responsive planning to ensure inclusivity in policy design and implementation.

Conclusion

Empowering women in agricultural governance is not only a matter of equity but a strategic necessity for Pakistan’s rural development and food security. Despite constituting a significant portion of the agricultural workforce, women remain excluded from land ownership, financial services, training programs, and decision-making bodies. This exclusion hampers agricultural productivity, economic growth, and the resilience of rural communities. Evidence from Pakistan and across the region demonstrates that women’s meaningful participation in farm management, climate adaptation, and cooperatives leads to higher yields, better nutrition, improved water use, and stronger local economies.

Closing the gender gap in agriculture could boost productivity by up to 30%, yet progress remains hindered by structural and cultural barriers. To move forward, Pakistan must urgently enact land reforms, implement gender quotas in farmer institutions, expand digital and gender-sensitive extension services, and invest in women-led cooperatives. Success depends on building inclusive agricultural policies that acknowledge and institutionalize women’s roles not as auxiliary laborers but as farmers, decision-makers, and innovators.

By ensuring women have equal access to resources, representation, and leadership, Pakistan can unlock transformative potential within its agricultural sector. A gender-inclusive approach to agricultural governance is fundamental to building a more productive, climate-resilient, and socially just food system. The time to act is now.

References: FAO; IFAD; Pakistan Bureau of Statistics; UN Women; World Bank; Ali & Khan; State Bank of Pakistan

Please note that the views expressed in this article are of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of any organization.

The writer is affiliated with the Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Social Sciences, Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam Sindh, Pakistan and can be reached at qadirbux944@gmail.com

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