Women’s Role in Agriculture and Gender Issues in Syria

1. Women’s Role in Agriculture and Gender Issues in Syria Prepared by Samira Soubh Rural Development Division

2. Presentation purpose Because rural women are the substantial component of RDD’s concerns, we aimed at: • Highlighting the traditional role of women and gender issues • Providing data on women's role in agriculture and in the economy • Assessing women's access to pentagon assets. September7, 2005

3. Introduction Women key roles: • Ensuring household food security • Contributing to 70% of agricultural activities • Increasing contribution in the economy • Unpaid and invisible workers • The shortest route to ending poverty Development programs must consider women’s role to achieve UNMDG September7, 2005

4. Rural Women’s Role in the Economy Non-farm Production Farm Production Women’s Role CommunityManagement Household Market For Members ForMarket Household Food Security Economic Growth Overall Food Security & Welfare September7, 2005

5. Gender Issues in Syria • Traditional Gender’s roles lead to constrain development process • Gender was neglected in all development projects • Women have limited access to productive resources and services • Income differentiation • All citizens, irrespective of gender, are treated equally before civil law, but: • In marriage and divorce cases • In the penalty (honor Killing) September7, 2005

6. Labor Gendered distribution in agricultural production September7, 2005

7. Rural Women Access to Pentagon Assets • Access To HumanCapital • Educational Status of Rural Women • Illiteracy rate in rural areas is 34% (females 44 %, males 16%) • 78% of female employees in agriculture are illiterate • Health Status of Rural Women • Mortality rate is 107 deaths for 100,000 births • 37% of rural women receipted health care after giving birth September7, 2005

8. Access To Financial Capital September7, 2005

9. Access To Social Capital • Government supports integrating woman into society, but their participation rate still low at decision making position. • Women do not have notable role in decision making inside their household September7, 2005

10. Access To Physical Capital • Lack of adequate physical and institutional structures. • Fragmented land holdings and limit effective use of technology • 56% of rural households are provided with piped water • 92% electricity supply. • Only 29% of households are supplied with modern sanitary net, • Increased women domestic burden (water fetching and using fuel for cooking). September7, 2005

11. Access to Natural Capital • Women have to work in the land, but traditionally do not own it • Land ownership by females constitutes 5% of aggregate land ownership, while no women posses transport means and/or agriculture wells September7, 2005

12. Conclusions and Recommendations • Enhance women’s participation in development process • Facilitate women’s access to productive resources and basic services • Provide special support (credit) to set up income-earning activities • Change the ancient perception of women's role and their rights • Foster women role in all aspects and levels of society, policy and economy September7, 2005