Mujeres agricultoras en México: sus realidades y desafíos en el contexto actual

Abstract

The objective of this article is to analyze the perceptions of female farmers in Mexico to identify their interpretation regarding: (1) the main activities they perform in the field, (2) the use of machinery and agricultural tasks, (3) the valuation of their work, (4) employment opportunities, (5) the resources and support needed to improve production, (6) decision-making in planting, (7) access to training and development, (8) the implications of climate change, (9) the challenges they face in the field, and (10) proposals to promote their participation in the agricultural sector. It is a qualitative study. Information was obtained through semi-structured interviews with eleven women from Hidalgo, Puebla, Estado de Mexico, and the alcaldía de Xochimilco, in Mexico City. It was found that women expressed that their work is not valued; the belief is maintained that they are care providers and that they perform domestic chores; many small-scale producers do not have economic income, and those who work for an employer are paid per day; and they recognize that they earn less than men. Furthermore, the lands are mostly owned by their husbands or rented to men; women express that they do not have the right to inherit the land and that their decision-making is still a reserved matter, coupled with the fact that the field is considered to be masculine. It is concluded that it is necessary to support the Mexican countryside with a gender perspective, thinking that women are the most powerful force of food sovereignty.