Can the combination of public policies for family farming affect women's socioeconomic and political empowerment?

Responsible researcher: Viviane Pires Ribeiro

Article title: CONNECTING PUBLIC POLICIES FOR FAMILY FARMERS AND WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT: THE CASE OF THE BRAZILIAN SEMI-ARID

Authors of the article: Emily Aparecida Ferreira Brandão, Thiago da Rocha Santos and Stephan Rist

Location of intervention: Brazilian semi-arid

Sample size: 59 farmers

Sector: Gender

Type of Intervention : Effects of public policies on female empowerment

Variable of main interest: Female empowerment

Assessment method: Others - Case study

Assessment Context

The role played by women in global food production and food security has encouraged debates about the recognition of female rights in the rural sector: better working conditions and reduction of gender inequalities. Although half of the world's agricultural workforce is made up of women, gender gaps regarding access to income and ownership of productive resources in this sector are still enormous.

In the 1980s, the Brazilian social movement restructured agricultural sector policy, through the integration of farmers' rights and the demands of female agricultural workers. The main demands of agricultural workers were the recognition of the agricultural profession and the rights arising from this recognition, such as social rights and the right to organize in unions, regardless of the participation of their fathers, brothers or husbands. Thus, the 1988 Federal Constitution was the initial milestone for the recognition of family farming as a professional category, as it included family farmers in the Social Security retirement program and guaranteed women the same rights enjoyed by men, such as the right rural social security and participation as beneficiaries of public policies.

Intervention Details

Even with the large amount of work that studies female empowerment and access to public policies, few empirical analyzes have been carried out considering how public policies aimed at rural development can change social structures. Given this gap, Brandão et al. (2020) analyze how the combination of public policies for family farming affects women's socioeconomic and political empowerment.

The analysis focuses on the case of the food system of family farmers who use rainwater as a means of survival and who are located in the Brazilian semi-arid region. Three traditional communities of family farmers, named pasture fund communities, participated in the study (Melancia, Riacho Grande and Ladeira Grande). The main characteristic of these communities is the use of common land to produce food for consumption and commercialization.

Data was collected through focus groups, semi-structured interviews, questionnaires and participant observation. The main questions that guided the research were (i) do public policies affect women's socioeconomic and political conditions, and if so, how? and (ii) to what extent do public policies empower women and change their status within the food system?

Methodology Details

The study is based on a qualitative inductive approach; and the research process was divided into 4 phases: bibliographical research, data collection, analysis of the effect of public policies and evaluation of female empowerment.

The bibliographical research included academic texts, books and reports that provided relevant information about the semi-arid region and its issues, as well as theories and concepts that led to the conceptual framework. The data was gathered through fieldwork, covering the municipalities of Petrolina (state of Pernambuco), Juazeiro and Casa Nova (state of Bahia), from October/2018 to January/2019. In data collection, participatory observations were selected from six focus groups, with farmers from the Melancia, Riacho Grande and Ladeira Grande communities (each involving four to twelve farmers), totaling 59 farmers.

Brandão et al. (2020) use indicators of income status, domestic work, work and political commitment, food and water security to understand how transformations in these sectors unfold into female empowerment at the personal and relational (household and community) levels.

Results

The analyzes indicate that local farmers realized that the integrated set of policies help reduce food insecurity, promote the integration of farmers into the job market and allow the dissemination of technology, knowledge and financial support.

The results also show that women achieved economic stability by participating in Food Purchase Programs. Furthermore, women's access to cisterns helped with the daily work of collecting water. This set of factors encouraged women to become more involved with political issues, increasing their participation in institutions such as NGOs, associations and cooperatives. Among the negative aspects, the study found that the gender division of labor has increased within the family context, and, despite being fundamental to ensuring domestic food security, women still struggle to access the means of production.

Public Policy Lessons

Women's awareness of their importance for food security is a positive demonstration of their empowerment. However, policies are still not capable of breaking the sexual division of labor at the domestic level. Observations and interviews with participants show that differences within the household go beyond the division of labor. It takes the form of a hierarchy that devalues ​​the work carried out by women (domestic work and production of food for consumption) and values ​​the work carried out by men (production of animals for commerce).

Brandão et al. (2020) emphasize that public policies have inclusive and contradictory effects, as they simultaneously empower women and reinforce the sexual division of labor. One of the main problems identified in all the policies selected by the authors is their broad approach, not meeting the specific needs of several socially heterogeneous categories of family farmers.

The efficiency of public policy depends on a combination of factors, such as the political context, social conventions, intra-family relationships, institutions and interactions between affected actors. The incorporation of women into socioeconomic dynamics depends on public policies that encourage female empowerment through access to resources (credit, land, training, information, technology, etc.), education and participation in decision-making spaces.

Specifically, Bolsa Família could offer additional financial support to encourage women to continue studying. The Program for the Productive Organization of Rural Women (technical assistance) could create ways to include men in food production activities for family consumption, decentralizing domestic tasks. Finally, regional Rural Credit categories must be created to include marginalized women.

References

Brandão, EAF, Santos TDR, & Rist, S. (2020). Connecting Public Policies for Family Farmers and Women's Empowerment: The Case of the Brazilian Semi-Arid. Sustainability 12 (15), 5961.