Gender inequalities are thought to have first appeared with the advent of agriculture, when a clear distinction was made between the role of women and men in all spheres of social life. Men in creation and production, women in reproduction and in the home. The invention of the plow is therefore the earliest root of humanity’s long history of discrimination against women. Finally, the privatization of land and the “green revolutions” have concentrated material and financial resources essentially in the hands of men. In the 21st century, the status of women engaged in agricultural activity has changed little. Throughout the ages and all geographical areas, their contributions are almost always forgotten.
by Agnès Stienne
artist & cartographer
Most of the information used in this study were sourced from the FAO report, “Women in Agriculture Closing the gender gap for development”, 2011.