Kenya: The Silent Struggle: Women in Agriculture Bearing the Weight of Every Task

Feb 28, 2025 | Eileen Bogweh Nchanji, Lutomia Cosmas and Victor Nyamolo
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Agriculture is a critical lifeline for many rural communities in Kenya. In Makueni County, Kenya, women farmers bear the majority of workload on the farm: they till, plant, weed and harvest, which seems to suggest empowerment, but in reality, it is an overwhelming burden for women farmers. Men often work off-farm, with women bearing the brunt of daily tassk but still unable to make decisions on the sale and use of income from agricultural produce due to cultural and social norms.