Women in agriculture: peasant production and proletarianization in three Andean regions
Deere, C.D.; Leon de Leal, M.
Working Papers, World Employment Programme Research, International Labour Office (WEP 10/WP 13): 212
1980
Document Number: 418728
The study is based on the analysis of the data collected at the national level in Colombia and at the State level (Cajamarca) in Peru. The focus is on the articulation between rural women's work in agricultural production on peasant holdings and the proletarianisation of small farm households, leading to women's wage employment. In sharp contrast to census data, this study provides clear evidence that women participate actively not only in field work and animal raising, but also in processing and marketing of agricultural and animal products. Moreover, women are also engaged as seasonal labour on plantations, haciendas and modern commercial farms producing for export. It is demonstrated that women's participation in agricultural field work as well as decision-making within the peasant household varies inversely with the household's access to land. It is concluded that until a more adequate conceptualization is introduced for measuring women's participation in agricultural work, census data must be supplemented by detailed case studies on women's role in Andean agricultural production. The final chapter summarizes the findings, highlighting the issues raised concerning the analysis of the sexual division of labour in agriculture. The first section considers measurement issues. This is followed by the conceptual issues implied by the heterogeneous participation of rural women in Andean agriculture. Here consideration is given to what is required for the gender-categorization of farming systems to be conceptually meaningful in the analysis of the sexual division of labour. Finally the implications are discussed of the analysis concerning the effect of the process of capitalist development in agriculture for women's economic participation.