Women and Agriculture
Women’s work in agriculture remains central to rural economies, yet it is frequently undervalued in policy and development discourse. This research explores the gendered dimensions of agrarian labour, land access, environmental change and livelihood transformation within broader debates on sustainability and social justice.
Gendered Labour and Agrarian Economies
Women play critical roles across agricultural production systems, including cultivation, seed preservation, livestock management and informal rural markets. However, their labour often remains invisible within formal economic frameworks. This research examines how gender shapes access to land, water and agricultural resources, and how structural inequalities influence rural livelihoods.
Related work on gendered extractive labour can also be explored under Women and Mining.
Agriculture, Environment and Climate Stress
Rural livelihoods are increasingly shaped by environmental degradation, water scarcity and climate variability. This research investigates how women experience ecological stress, particularly in regions affected by industrial expansion and extractive economies. By linking agriculture to environmental governance, the project contributes to wider debates on sustainability and climate justice.
Connected discussions on environmental transition can be found in Coal Transition and Climate Change.
Livelihoods, Policy and Social Justice
The transformation of agrarian economies raises urgent questions about food security, land rights and inclusive development. This research analyses how agricultural policy, rural development schemes and extractive industries intersect with women’s everyday economic realities. It highlights the importance of recognizing women as knowledge-holders, decision-makers and leaders within agrarian communities.
Further peer-reviewed research on these themes is available in the Publications section.
Rural Transformation and Development Policy
Agricultural change does not occur in isolation. Women and agriculture are deeply shaped by rural development policy, land reform initiatives and environmental governance structures. As agrarian regions undergo industrial expansion and ecological stress, women often experience disproportionate economic vulnerability. This research analyses how policy interventions affect women farmers differently, especially in contexts where land ownership remains unequal and labour is informal.
By situating women’s agricultural labour within broader political economy frameworks, the project highlights how sustainability debates must integrate gender justice. It also explores how grassroots participation and community dialogue can reshape agricultural futures in more inclusive ways.
Agrarian Change, Industrial Expansion and Rural Inequality
Women and agriculture cannot be understood without situating agrarian transformation within broader political and economic shifts. Across South Asia, agricultural regions are increasingly shaped by industrial corridors, mining expansion and infrastructural development. These transformations alter land use patterns, labour structures and local ecologies. Women, particularly those without formal land titles, often face heightened precarity when agricultural land is acquired or environmental degradation intensifies.
This research examines how rural inequality is reproduced through development processes that prioritise extractive growth over subsistence security. By analysing land acquisition policies, compensation regimes and shifts in labour demand, the project highlights how women’s agricultural roles are reconfigured during periods of rapid change. The study also considers how women mobilise collectively to protect livelihoods, assert land rights and negotiate access to state support mechanisms.
Understanding women and agriculture in this context requires moving beyond narrow productivity metrics. Instead, the research foregrounds questions of care work, food provisioning, ecological stewardship and intergenerational knowledge transfer. These dimensions are central to sustainable rural futures yet remain marginal in policy discourse. By integrating gender analysis with agrarian political economy, the project contributes to broader debates on environmental governance and social justice.
This research contributes to interdisciplinary scholarship on gender, agrarian change and environmental governance across South.