Rural Women Status Report on CEDAW 2011

Sustainable Agriculture

PKKK Thematic Papers_7

Rural Women and Breaking the INVISIBILITY CLOAK

of WOMEN-FARMERS IN THE PHILIPPINES

This paper attempts to show the real status of rural women in the national programs for
agriculture and illustrate how their experiences, participation and contributions have
engendered the agriculture program by way of their practices within the realm of farm
production and the various mechanisms in addressing equality within their place of work ---the farm. It also discusses the indicators of PKKKs advocacy on sustainable agriculture as a
policy framework in developing agriculture.
The United Nations cited the important roles of rural women in enhancing agricultural and
rural development, improving food security and reducing poverty in their communities. Rural
women represent 70 percent of the agricultural workforce, comprising 43 percent of
agricultural workers worldwide. The Food and Agriculture estimated that if rural women had
the same access to productive resources as men, they could increase yields on their farms
by 2030 percent, lifting 100-150 million out of hunger. Furthermore, equal access to
resources will raise total agricultural output in developing countries by 2.54 percent,
thereby contributing to both food security and economic growth.
CSI research shows that women in agriculture spend as much as eight to eleven hours a day
in productive and reproductive worki.e. acquiring capital for farming (usually through
credit), carrying out planting activities, marketing the primary crop and backyard produce,
and providing for their household's daily survival needs. They spend from one to six hours
daily for domestic work, which includes activities like preparing farm tools and food for farm
laborers, fetching water, gardening, foraging, wood gathering, raising poultry and livestock,
and other livelihood activities. During the off-season, the women in agriculture spend more
time in domestic chores, as well as augmenting cash income and ensuring food for their
households.
Despite rural womens significant contributions to agriculture, they remain unclassified. Men
working in the farm are the only ones identified and classified as farmers. Women farm
workers (and their children) are not included. In the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization)
studies, they have found out that though women are the sustaining aspect in agriculture,
they get the least benefit from farm labor income, food systems and day-to-day farming
subsistence. This observation was true with the experiences of PKK women farmers in
Aurora, in Luzon; Sorsogon, in Bicol region; Bohol & Leyte, in Visayas; and, Bukidnon, and
Agusan der Sur in Mindanao. Even in the aspect of land ownership, these women-farmers
are not given equal rights to possess legal documents (with their names) as proofs. CSI
Women in Agriculture survey shows that only 24% of the women small owner cultivators
have their names included in the land titles, while only 23% of the women tenants are
regarded by the landowners as tenants.
This invisibility of rural women in farm production system is exacerbated by the absence
of disaggregated data on how women benefit from the farming industry and their actual
contribution to aggregate farm production. This resulted in the non-inclusion of womenfarmers from overall planning and government programs, projects and support services.

Rural Women Status Report on CEDAW 2011

Sustainable Agriculture

PKKK Thematic Papers_7

Based on the accounts of women farmers in Bohol, Leyte, Aurora, Agusan Del Sur, Bukidnon,
and Sorsogon, the government failed to provide budget allocation for rural women in the
conduct of capacity-building mechanisms (such as training on agriculture, mentoring,
monitoring and evaluation, etc.) by the various government agencies; farm inputs (seed
distribution and propagation, organic fertilizer and pesticide production, etc.); access to
equipment and post-harvest facilities; credit support and alternative rural finance; access to
agricultural assistance such as capability-building mechanisms (training and other
technologies suitable to their health and environmental conditions); and farmers control
over rice trading and pricing.
Apart from these, is either the lack or absence of women-friendly indicators in the different
programs and projects of the government.
Gains and Milestones
There are also notable gains rural women particularly in the farming communities have
conquered in order to development and become agent of change. In 2010, the PKKK
engaged the Inter-agency Committee on Rural Women headed by DA and the Philippine
Women Commission in launching the search for outstanding rural women as an initial step in
recognizing the critical role of women in agriculture. One of PKKK women-leaders from
Agusan del Sur, Zenaida ----- emerged as top three winner.
PKKK Bohol and Leyte narrated that the local DA provided them a handful of training on
agriculture. They were also given a one-time shot of seeds for production.
DALUYONG in Nueva Ecija strong presence in the area of health and in agriculture in the
province has prompted local government officials to involve the women farmers from pre-to
post production activities. Some of their members are even recognized as strong leaders,
spokespersons, and trainer in agriculture. Moreover, their sustained active participation of
women farmer members is a milestone not only in the promotion of organic farming in the
province but also in advocating gender equality. They expanded their programs not only in
rice production but also in micro-lending, trading and marketing. They have been
instrumental in the passage and implementation of a Provincial Gender Code.
In the case of PKKK Leyte, the increase of men members of PKKK shows a positive
acceptance of womens participation in local development. The men farmers said that
joining PKKK provided them not only skills in family and community management but most
importantly to become better husbands to their wives. According to them, their experiences
in the group actually helped their relationships with their partners, children and even their
relatives, friends and neighbors.
Women members of PKKK in Bohol expressed that after the series of capacity-building given
by PKKK national, the local members are able to assert their rights inside their homes. They
are also able to take part in major decision-making in their families such as what type of
seeds (rice and vegetables) are appropriate to plant in a particular period, what types of
livelihood projects could the women together with their husbands and children undertake
without sacrificing their planting activities and household chores.

Rural Women Status Report on CEDAW 2011

Sustainable Agriculture

PKKK Thematic Papers_7

But more than the contests, actual women-friendly programs and projects should be crafted
and implemented. PKKKs small gains and milestones would have a great impact if scaled up
and implemented nationwide.

Organic agriculture
The enactment of Republic Act 10068 or Organic Agriculture At of 2010 may be a welcome
development as it stipulates the annual funding of Php 50 million for the development of
organic agriculture. Added to this is the bias on organic farming of DA Secretary Proceso
Alcala. However, mainstreaming and integration of organic agriculture is not yet widely
promoted and implemented by the national DA and LGUs though slowly being implemented
in DA ATIs training program.
According to PKKK networks, trials and adoption of organic farming experienced various
upsides and downsides but they gained more such as savings due reduction of chemical
farming inputs and production costs; rehabilitation of soil nutrients, restored biodiversity and
improved harvest and income, diversified crops and farm income sources. Furthermore, it
promotes self-reliance and has improved their access and control over productive resources
and active participation in farming through various capacity-building given by the
Department of Agriculture and the local government units (LGUs). PKKK Bohol and Leyte are
actively advocating for enactment of provincial organic farming ordinances.
The technology became beneficial to female household-headed families. Most of the 40%
women-farmers got involved in direct and even heavier farm management activities such as
land preparation, seed selection and propagation, preparation of organic fertilizers, among
others
Farmers lessened if not totally became independent from traders in providing capital input
for palay production. Women farmers are now doing their own organic inputs from available
organic soil nutrients such as chicken manure, rice straw, carbonized rice hull, and the now
popular vermin-culture technology. Instead of pesticides, they also make their own
botanicals such as madre cacao, chili, and fermented juices from extracted plants.
The adoption also encouraged them to do their own selection of seeds, using traditional
improved varieties suited in the area. In Nueva Ecija, DALUYONG has been propagating TRVs
such as intan, Dinurado, Dugali, Iningkanto, among others. They said that women farmers
learned to select off-type seeds and got rid of impurities. In fact, most of them are already
self-selecting their own seeds.
The strong advocacy assumed by women in farming has manifested concrete improvement
in the lives of sustainable farming practitioners which came in the form of food security in
the household level, better nutritional value sans chemical contamination and healthier
status. Although they have experienced lower yield from organic farming for a number of
planting season, still income came out greater due to lower costs outlaid. Other sources of

Rural Women Status Report on CEDAW 2011

Sustainable Agriculture

PKKK Thematic Papers_7

food nutrients came from vegetables planted by women-farmers in their farm and backyard
gardens.
Recommendations
Following are the recommendations of the women farmer members of PKKK as part of the
research done in the covered areas of Bohol and Leyte, among others.
Allotment of funds for capacity building of women farmers in the promotion of
sustainable agriculture (from LGUs and DA)
Strengthen and support the formation of Women Farmer organizations
Provision of additional training on Organic farming: rice and vegetable production,
fertilizer production, community seed banking
Provision of access and control on rice trading and marketing: especially in the
coconut and vegetable sectors
Provision of credit support for other social enterprise: food processing, livestock
dispersal, and resource-based home-based industries (handicrafts from available
materials in the community)
Capacity Building
Disaster Risk Reduction in agriculture areas
Ensure womens share of the resources/budget allotted for the education &
training, i.e. from the 5% of the support services component (over and above
the so-called 5% GAD Budget)
Sustainable
Agriculture

Laws/Policies/ Programs
that Promote Gender
Equality

Women-friendly
technologies
accessed by poor
rural women

Magna Carta of Women IRR

Rule V, Sec 23 on Design
Implementation Plan for Food
Security

Laws / Policies/
Programs that
Hinder Gender
Equality

Recommendation from
PKKK based on
GRRWDP
Allocate GAD budget for
community seed banking
facilities/processes for
women farmers
Create and develop a
pool of rural women
trainers for sustainable
agriculture and fishing,
including capacities for
post-harvest processing
Capacity building
programs led by
organized women (RICs
+ other organizations);
involve and tap
community-based

Rural Women Status Report on CEDAW 2011

Sustainable Agriculture

PKKK Thematic Papers_7

women experts
Democratize womens
access to the following
programs, i.e. rotate list
of beneficiaries and not
limited to the RICs:
*traditionally/locally
adapted vegetable seeds
*small irrigation facilities
and rainwater harvesting
facilities
* composting facilities
and equipment for
organic fertilizer
production
Monitor targeted and
actual women
beneficiaries

Increased
participation in
mechanisms
related to food
security, land use
planning,
land/water use
conversions, and
agricultural/fisher
ies investments.

Magna Carta of Women

Consolidate rural women

and strengthen capacity
to organize and engage
decision-making
structures.
Ensure guidelines for
womens participation in
land use policies and
processes.
Registration and
strengthening of rural
women orgs; ensure
gender balance in
farmers and fishers
associations
AO guidelines on
land/water use
conversion and
agricultural/fisheries
investments should
include consultation with

Rural Women Status Report on CEDAW 2011

Sustainable Agriculture

PKKK Thematic Papers_7

women.