La place des femmes dans l'agriculture

Abstract

The number of female active population in agriculture has decreased almost by half between 1970 and 1975, but their share in total active agricultural population is practically the same : approximately two in five. This population has a quite different evolution depending on status : — the number of female farmers has been increasing for ten years. Although the proportion of widows is still important (4 out of 10), the number of young women is obviously rising, thus contributing to an increase in average working time on the farm. Wives involved in farm work tend to be fewer under 45 years of age, but their working time is more important. Later on, farm work occurs more frequently, but its intensity decreases. Farm wives represent two thirds of the total agricultural labour force and mostly work full-time, 60 % have at least a half-time occupation. One out of ten have a non agricultural occupation, 31 % as an employee, 24 % as an executive or top executive. The number of other female family workers has been almost divided by 3 in the last 15 years. Those women are essentially farmers' mothers and daughters, most of them work less than half-time on the farm. Hired female workers are few and mainly employed in horticulture, viticulture and arboriculture. The status of female family labour force still has an ambiguous definition. However young farming couples can be noted to play complementary parts which allow them to adjust to any economic situation.