Integrating gender in rice research

Abstract

Gender mainstreaming in agriculture is new trend to address the inequalities of resources and work participation between men and women for ensuring equity in gender. Though women constitute about half of the total agricultural labour, their access to resources as well as decision making power is limited. Particularly, women in rice-based farming system though undertake hard work, own or share very limited resources and benefits in comparison to other systems. Various needs of women, while undertake research and technologies developed should be addressed appropriately through gender focussed planning, project implementation, monitoring as well as impact assessment. A systematic understanding and capacity building of the planners, researchers, development and extension machineries on innovative mechanism and gender sensitive perspectives would bring socioeconomic upliftment of not only women but the whole society.