May 2020, South Asia

In rural Pakistan, women are important partners in agricultural development. They perform a variety of crucial tasks, including weeding and tilling land, planting seeds, collecting farmyard manure and harvesting. They are also responsible for cleaning, drying and storing grains.

Yet despite their role, these women often do not receive recognition for their contributions or share control of the income generated from this work. They also have heavy workloads, carrying out a wide range of off-farm tasks in addition to their agricultural duties. Studies show that a typical woman in rural Pakistan works an average of 15.5 hours a day, including 5.5 hours spent in caring for livestock, and has only 50 minutes a day to spend caring for her own children. Like other rural-dwelling women across the world, they are also the most likely to be deprived of access to basic social services and livelihood opportunities, and they are at particular risk for experiencing violence. The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic have made these women even more vulnerable. The lockdown is causing untold misery for informal workers and the rural poor, given that many lack regular incomes and most have been separated from any access to economic activities. Millions of rural Pakistani families are now facing hunger and malnutrition.