RURAL WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT IN AGRICULTURE IN EGYPT | ||||
| Menoufia Journal of Agricultural Economic and Social Sciences | ||||
| Article 27, Volume 9, Issue 9, October 2024, Page 315-338 PDF (751.42 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/mjabes.2024.332428.1072 | ||||
 View on SCiNiTO | ||||
| Author | ||||
Basma Hassan Saad  
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| Faculy of Agriculture | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| The critical importance of empowering rural women within the agricultural sector in Egypt underscores the crucial importance, reflecting their pivotal role in enhancing economic resilience. Evidence suggests that addressing existing gender disparities not only alleviates economic hardships for women but also contributes significantly to broader agricultural productivity and sustainability. This aligns with the overarching objectives highlighted in (William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, 2013), which emphasize the necessity of comprehensive strategies for women’s economic empowerment as fundamental to achieving gender equity and economic growth. Ultimately, sustained efforts to empower women in agriculture will be crucial for propelling Egypt towards sustainable development goals and ensuring the long-term viability of rural economies. This present study used the WEAI index to define the level of agricultural empowerment for rural women in two villages of Kafr Elshiekh governorate one of them is considered a highly developed village (Um-Alqura) and another one is considered low developed village (Arimon). The study employed five domains, ten indicators, and 56 questions. The total arithmetic mean for the index was 25.20 in Um-Alqura village, which is classified as a high-developed village, with a standard deviation of 23.56. In Arimon village, which is classified as a low-developed village, the arithmetic mean for the index was 40.16, with a standard deviation of 37.36. This indicates that the numbers in the first low-developed village are larger, or that the average in that group is more significantly influenced by higher values. This may also reflect differences in performance, productivity, or comparative characteristics between the two villages. So, the degree of women’s empowerment in agriculture in the low-developed village (Arimon) was more than in the high-developed village (Um-Alqura). It implies that the agricultural empowerment in the low-developed village is greater than that in the high-developed village. This is likely due to the urgent need, as farmers in the less developed and resource-scarce villages are more motivated to enhance their agricultural situation and achieve sustainability. In contrast, the residents of a village with a high level of development may be less motivated to enhance or develop their agricultural practices due to the availability of resources and amenities. Alternatively, this could suggest that agricultural practices, government support, educational resources, and agricultural services are more effective in the low-development level village, even though expectations may be the opposite in higher-developed environments | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Rural Women in Egypt; Women’s empowerment; Agricultural empowerment; Gender in Agriculture | ||||
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