Gender Inequality in Agriculture: Women’s Invisible Role in Sindh’s Rural Economy

In the fertile plains of Sindh, the district of Tando Allahyar stands as both an emblem of agricultural potential and a stark reflection of gender inequality. The region’s farming economy, rooted in a complex web of landownership hierarchies, caste traditions, and patriarchal social norms, assigns rigidly gendered roles that determine who tills the land, who markets the produce, and who remains unseen in the economic narrative. Men typically dominate decision-making, access to land, and participation in formal markets, while women’s contributions, though extensive and indispensable, are confined largely to unpaid or underpaid labor. Women engage daily in seed cleaning, livestock feeding, cotton picking, and post-harvest handling, yet their work is seldom recognized in economic statistics or remunerated fairly.

This inequality is not merely cultural; it is structural and institutional. Limited access to education, credit, and extension services perpetuates women’s dependence on male intermediaries for market participation. At local produce centers such as the Sultanabad vegetable market, women rarely appear as traders or sellers despite being integral to the production chain. The lack of gender-responsive agricultural services further marginalizes them from training, technology adoption, and input subsidies. Consequently, female farmers remain locked in low-productivity roles, with little control over income or assets.

The repercussions of this imbalance extend beyond economics. Women in Tando Allahyar often experience psychological stress, fatigue, and diminished agency, juggling agricultural labor with unpaid domestic responsibilities. The cumulative effect is a dual burden that erodes their well-being and limits their potential as agents of growth. Ultimately, this gendered division of labor not only entrenches poverty and inequality but also curtails the district’s overall productivity and its contribution to Pakistan’s agricultural GDP. Addressing these disparities through inclusive policies and institutional reforms is therefore essential to unlock Sindh’s, and Pakistan’s, true rural potential.

Women’s Invisible Role in Agriculture: The Silent Backbone of Tando Allahyar

In the agricultural heartland of Tando Allahyar, women form the unacknowledged backbone of the district’s farming economy. They are central to every stage of agricultural production sowing seeds, weeding, irrigating fields, harvesting crops, and processing produce yet their contributions remain largely invisible in both statistical data and policy discourse. In the district’s famous mango orchards, women meticulously perform delicate and skilled operations such as pruning, grafting, and fruit grading, tasks that demand precision and care. However, because this labor is often performed within the family structure or on smallholdings, it remains unpaid and unrecorded. According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (Labour Force Survey 2020–21), nearly 72% of women working in Sindh’s agricultural sector are categorized as unpaid family workers, compared to only 29% of men. This classification effectively renders their economic participation invisible, erasing their critical role in sustaining household livelihoods and the rural economy.

When women do receive wages, the disparity is striking. In the vegetable markets around Sultanabad, female workers typically earn 30–40% less than men for equivalent labor. Their reliance on male intermediaries whether contractors or family members limits their ability to negotiate fair compensation or access direct market opportunities. Social norms restricting women’s mobility further compound these inequalities, trapping them in low-wage, low-recognition roles.

The situation is further worsened by what researchers describe as the “double burden” of women’s work. Beyond their agricultural responsibilities, women shoulder the entirety of unpaid domestic labor cooking, cleaning, fetching water and fuel, and caring for children and the elderly. In areas where public infrastructure is weak and social services are scarce, this labor-intensive routine consumes most of their day, leaving little time for education, rest, or income-generating activities.

The invisibility of women’s work in Tando Allahyar is thus not a matter of neglect alone but a reflection of deep-rooted structural inequities. Recognizing and valuing their contributions is not only essential for gender justice but also for improving productivity and ensuring inclusive agricultural growth in Sindh.

Systemic Discrimination and Occupational Segregation in Rural Sindh

In Tando Allahyar, gender inequality in agriculture extends far beyond wage disparities, it is embedded within the structure of the rural economy itself. Women’s participation in the labor market is largely confined to low-paid, seasonal, and physically demanding tasks, such as transplanting rice, weeding, and cotton picking, while men dominate the relatively better-paying and mechanized segments of agricultural work. Occupations such as tractor operation, pesticide application, irrigation management, and market trading are almost exclusively reserved for men, reflecting deep-rooted cultural beliefs about women’s physical capabilities and social roles. This occupational segregation not only limits women’s income potential but also perpetuates their dependence on male intermediaries.

Structural inequalities further widen this divide. According to the World Bank (2021), women farmers in Sindh are 60% less likely than men to receive agricultural extension services training, technology transfer, and advisory support that are essential for improving productivity. Their access to formal credit, quality seeds, fertilizers, and land titles remains minimal, largely due to bureaucratic and cultural barriers. The exclusion from these institutional services keeps female farmers trapped in a cycle of low productivity and informal labor, undermining their economic empowerment and social mobility.

For Hindu minority women, particularly from marginalized castes such as the Kohlis and Bheels, the layers of exclusion are even more severe. They face triple discrimination based on gender, religion, and caste. As mostly landless laborers, they depend on exploitative tenancy systems or daily wage work under harsh conditions. Their vulnerability intensifies during crises: the 2022 floods exposed how relief and rehabilitation programs often failed to reach minority communities, leaving them isolated and without support (Amnesty International, 2022; UCA News, 2022).

In essence, systemic discrimination and occupational segregation in Tando Allahyar are not isolated issues, they represent a structural barrier that continues to deny women, especially minority women, equitable participation in Sindh’s agricultural progress.

Psychological and Social Barriers and Pathways to Equity

The barriers facing women in Tando Allahyar’s agricultural economy extend well beyond income inequality, they penetrate the social fabric and psychological well-being of rural communities. Deep-rooted patriarchal norms have conditioned many women to perceive their labor as secondary or “supplementary” to men’s work. This internalized belief erodes confidence, limits aspirations, and perpetuates dependence. Generations of exclusion from decision-making spaces whether in households, cooperatives, or markets have resulted in a learned invisibility, where women’s voices are seldom heard even in matters that directly concern their livelihoods.

These psychological barriers are reinforced by what economists call the zero-sum fallacy, the notion that empowering women comes at men’s expense. This mindset fuels resistance from male community members and policymakers alike, impeding progress toward gender equity. Yet, empirical evidence consistently disproves this myth. Studies by the International Food Policy Research Institute (2019) demonstrate that gender-equitable systems enhance household productivity, income diversification, and overall community resilience. When women have equitable access to resources, the benefits extend to families and entire rural economies.

On the policy front, there are glimmers of hope. The Sindh Women Agriculture Workers Act (2019) legally guarantees equal pay, written contracts, and social security for women agricultural workers. However, its implementation remains limited due to weak enforcement and low awareness. Grassroots initiatives like the Green Value Social Enterprise Platform in Jhando Mari are pioneering change by organizing Farmer Marketing Communities (FMCs), facilitating direct market access, and reducing exploitation by middlemen.

To advance equity, reform must be multi-dimensional recognizing women’s unpaid labor in national statistics, ensuring access to land, credit, and technology, and investing in rural infrastructure that reduces domestic burdens. Equally vital is engaging men as allies in dismantling outdated gender norms, transforming empowerment into a shared path toward inclusive and sustainable agricultural development in Sindh.

Conclusion

The gendered agrarian divide in Tando Allahyar is not merely a social or economic disparity, it is a structural constraint that weakens the very foundation of Sindh’s agricultural economy. Women are indispensable contributors to farming, livestock, and post-harvest activities, yet their work remains invisible, undervalued, and largely unpaid. This invisibility stems from entrenched patriarchal norms, unequal access to resources, and weak institutional mechanisms that fail to acknowledge women as legitimate farmers or decision-makers. The resulting inequities have far-reaching consequences, including reduced household income, lower productivity, and the perpetuation of rural poverty.

However, this divide is not irreversible. The implementation of progressive legislation such as the Sindh Women Agriculture Workers Act (2019) and the emergence of inclusive community-led initiatives like the Green Value Social Enterprise Platform show that transformation is both possible and necessary. Recognizing and formalizing women’s roles, improving access to education, land, credit, and markets, and addressing the social barriers that constrain their participation can create a more just and resilient agricultural system.

True rural development in Sindh will depend on dismantling gender bias and building systems that value women’s labor equally. Empowering women is not only a matter of social justice it is an economic imperative for achieving sustainable agricultural growth and poverty reduction in Pakistan.

References: Amnesty International; ADB; Halepoto; IFPRI; Khuwaja; PBS; Siddique et al; Sindh Government; UCA News; World Bank.

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 Rural Development Department, Faculty of Agricultural Social Sciences, Sindh Agriculture University, Tando Jam, Pakistan and can be reached at asadalikhuwaja@gmail.com

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