In Jamalpur’s Dewanganj upazila, women farmers are bearing the brunt of climate shocks and systemic inequality. Char areas like Balugram Dakshin face multiple floods each year, destroying crops and cutting off income sources. Women agricultural workers, many of whom take loans from local cooperatives to cultivate small plots, are often left without recourse when floods hit unexpectedly. With no formal recognition as farmers, they remain excluded from institutional support.
Women provide essential labor in sowing, harvesting, weeding, and managing livestock, yet earn significantly less than men, typically Tk 300 a day compared to Tk 500–700 for men. Some, like Parul Begum, labor on family land without pay. Even when women own land jointly or farm it alone, decisions around production and profits are typically made by male relatives. The lack of land deeds blocks women from accessing government loans, subsidies, or free agricultural resources.
National data backs these disparities. According to the 2022 Labor Force Survey, 75% of employed women are engaged in informal agriculture, yet only 12% have agricultural land ownership, compared to 69% of men. While women’s participation in agriculture is rising, especially as men migrate to cities or abroad, they remain excluded from economic and legal structures.
Community projects like MJF’s “CRIA” program, supported by Swedish aid, are beginning to change this by training women in climate-resilient farming. Farmers like Rubina Akhter are adopting elevated sack farming and poultry vaccinations to protect against flood losses. But activists and gender experts stress that without broader reforms, such as land rights, access to credit, and gender-equal pay, these women will continue to sustain the agricultural sector without ever benefiting from it.
Source: Prothom Alo
Bangladesh Feminist Archives 