Honoring Women Farmers on National Agriculture Day
As Bangladesh celebrates National Agriculture Day, it is time to reflect on the invisible yet indispensable labor that sustains the nation’s food systems, the labor of women. Women constitute nearly 58% of the agricultural workforce (LFS, 2022), yet their efforts often go unrecognized and undervalued. Despite being at the heart of farming from seed to harvest women’s roles remain largely invisible in agricultural statistics, wage structures, and policy discussions.
The Invisible Backbone of Agriculture
Across rural Bangladesh, women perform some of the most labor-intensive agricultural tasks: weeding, thinning, pruning, harvesting, drying, and storing crops. They also tend livestock, process post-harvest products, and maintain the household. Yet, these contributions are often viewed as extensions of domestic work rather than as productive labor. In many villages, women continue to earn only 60% to 70% of men’s wages, and sometimes they are not paid in cash at all receiving lower-grade produce instead.
In Hatibandha Upazila, for example, women involved in vegetable harvesting spoke of being paid in kind rather than money.
One woman shared, “I harvest the mustard and potatoes myself. If more labor is needed, I work alongside them. After bringing the crop home, I husk it myself.” Her story echoes the experiences of countless rural women who balance farm labor with household duties, their effort normalized and overlooked.
Photo: Women involved in Brinjal harvest on family farms
The Hidden Cost of “Profitable” Crops
As the nation pursues agricultural diversification, it is crucial to assess how women’s unpaid labor shapes perceived profitability. During a RUPANTAR project workshop in Rangpur, participants discussed how crops like tobacco and potatoes seem profitable only because women’s work is unpaid. Tobacco cultivation, for instance, demands painstaking care drying, sorting, and packaging mostly done by women. Yet, they are rarely part of the crop decision-making process.
One farmer’s wife shared, “Working for this crop is very tiring. If you cultivate tobacco, you develop cough and fever. We cannot afford labor, so I brought my mother to help. My son works outside. It is hard work, but my husband decides which crop to grow.” These voices remind us that economic gain cannot come at the expense of women’s health and agency.
Making Women’s Work Visible
On this National Agriculture Day, Bangladesh must renew its commitment to recognizing and valuing women’s agricultural contributions. This begins with:
Acknowledgment: Formally recognizing women’s roles in national agricultural accounts and development policies.
Measurement: Developing gender-disaggregated data systems to capture the extent of women’s unpaid and paid labor.
Support: Introducing labor-saving technologies, improving access to credit, and ensuring women’s participation in decision-making forums.
Awareness: Raising consciousness among both women and men about labor rights and the health impacts of agricultural drudgery.
A Call for Inclusive Growth
Agriculture remains central to Bangladesh’s identity and development. As we celebrate its achievements today, let us ensure that the contributions of rural women farmers are no longer hidden behind the fields they cultivate. Recognizing their work is not merely about justice it is about building a more equitable, resilient, and sustainable agricultural future for all.
By Anupama Islam Nisho, CIMMYT-Bangladesh