Among the most technologically inept farmers, females are the majority. This poses a hindrance to agricultural efficiency in the country where females make up 66 percent of the agricultural labor force, thereby contributing to the production process. Despite their high participation, females have lower access to productive resources and opportunities like land, livestock, labor, education, financial services and technology.This not only impacts these agricultural women, it also imposes costs of inefficiency on agriculture sector. It contributes to food insecurity. As per the 2011 Demographic and Health Survey, 39 percent Nepali households fall in moderate to severe food insecure categories. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, leveling the field for males and females in agriculture could increase female farmers' agricultural yields by 20 to 30 percent, increasing the total output up to four percent and feed an additional 12 to 17 percent of world population.
Due to increasing outmigration of males from Nepal (as per the most recent Population Survey, nine out of 10 migrants are men), women are taking over agricultural sector. This has imposed extra responsibilities on women who were already putting in more hours at home than men (household chores, gathering firewood and water). Therefore, there is a need for gender targeted agricultural policies, which can reduce women's workload and increase agricultural productivity.
Three factors that have been identified as impediments to improving agricultural yield are: lack of access to land and agricultural extension services and financial exclusion.
First, gender sensitive agricultural research needs to be conducted in different regions so that evidence-based policies can be implemented according to geography. In doing so, local administrative bodies, NGOs working in agricultural sector and farmers need to be part of the dialogue in creating bottom-up knowledge production that tailors to local needs.
Second, the government needs to work with local administrative branches to increase women's ownership and control of agricultural land, including well-defined rental agreements, so that women are more confident to invest. The state has already declared that women have equal rights to inheritance as men. It needs to build pathways to enforce this strictly.
Third, agricultural extension services, including training in use of modern techniques (e.g., high yield variety seeds, fertilizers and pesticides) in conjunction with existing indigenous sustainable practices need to be catered towards women. The government can start by including more female extension staff to increase the comfort and effectiveness of extension services for women farmers. Additionally, success stories of other women farmers can be shared to increase confidence in modern agriculture.
Household surveys should be expanded to track progress in above-mentioned areas to ensure concurrent monitoring and evaluation. Real time information exchange about challenges and successes will aid in designing evidence-based policies for greater agricultural productivity.
At the time when our neighbors benefit greatly from agricultural technology, we need to take advantage. In his last visit to Nepal, Indian PM Narendra Modi committed to helping Nepal. We need to learn from Modi's Gujarat where he was able to boost agriculture productivity and reduce food insecurity with a focus on women farmers.
The author is a PhD Student with a focus in Development Economics at The Ohio State University, US
Twitter: @mishrakhushbu6
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