How to Improve Gender Equality in Agriculture

The document identifies five dimensions of gender inequality in agriculture: land rights, productive resources, unpaid work, employment, and decision making. It compares Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSSs), which are typically adopted by producer organizations and companies, with Responsible Investment Frameworks (RIFs), which are guidelines for government and private sector actors. The analysis finds that RIFs generally have stronger gender dimensions regarding land rights and decision-making, while VSSs provide stronger guidance on earnings and employment. However, the document notes that neither tool automatically ensures positive outcomes; for example, VSSs can sometimes exacerbate women's workloads or be detrimental to access to common land if used for privatization. The brief recommends that stakeholders focus on implementation, adopt a gender-equity approach, and engage women as partners. Specific recommendations for investors include developing explicit gender strategies and ensuring female participation in consultations, while host governments are urged to prioritize gender-transformative outcomes and require gender statements from prospective investors.

• Gender inequality in agriculture is structured across five dimensions: land rights, productive resources, unpaid work, employment, and decision making.
• Responsible Investment Frameworks (RIFs) generally provide stronger guidance on gender than Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSSs), particularly regarding land rights and decision-making, although gaps remain in both.
• VSSs offer more robust guidance on employment and earnings, including the safety and health needs of women and irregular workers, but they often lack references to women's domestic labour burdens.
• The practical application of VSSs has shown mixed results: while they can increase access to credit and production inputs, they may also increase women's workloads or restrict access to common lands if used as a tool for land privatization.
• Investment projects often fail to include women's voices in negotiations and consultations, frequently relying on male elites instead.
• To improve gender equality, investors should implement explicit gender strategies, embed gender commitments in contracts, and conduct women-only consultations.

APA

Sexsmith, K., Smaller, C., & Speller, W. (2017). How to Improve Gender Equality in Agriculture. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/how-to-improve-gender-equality-agriculture.pdf

Chicago

Sexsmith, Kathleen, Carin Smaller, and William Speller. How to Improve Gender Equality in Agriculture. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2017. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/how-to-improve-gender-equality-agriculture.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Sexsmith |first1=Kathleen |last2=Smaller |first2=Carin |last3=Speller |first3=William |title=How to Improve Gender Equality in Agriculture |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=May 2017 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/how-to-improve-gender-equality-agriculture.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sexsmith2017how, author = {Sexsmith, Kathleen and Smaller, Carin and Speller, William}, title = {{How to Improve Gender Equality in Agriculture}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2017}, month = may, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/how-to-improve-gender-equality-agriculture.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }