The image of a farmer is traditionally attached to males, but many Filipino women have been making their presence felt in the frontlines of food and climate security.
These four female leaders shared their thoughts on how and why more women should be recognized for their contribution and be given more opportunities to work in the field.
Confronting barriers
Irish Baguilat, coordinator of the Asian Farmers’ Association (AFA) for Sustainable Rural Development, said that female farmers face more barriers than men. For example, most agricultural equipment and machineries are not designed to be “women-friendly” or are too labor-intensive for most women to operate.
Baguilat, who works with farmers cooperatives, observed that this problem stems from the inadequacy of leadership positions occupied by women.
“Even in the cooperatives, we don’t (yet have) mechanisms that would create the opportunity for women to really participate in the decision-making processes,” said Baguilat during The Climate Reality Project’s webinar on March 9. “If you look at their (organizations’) board of trustees or board of directors... you see very few women.”
The lack of representation forces women’s concerns to the margins without proper interventions. Baguilat’s work within AFA includes facilitating women committees within cooperatives, like LAKAMBINI which is under the Pambansang Kilusan ng mga Samahang Magsasaka, a national confederation of farmers and fisherfolk groups.
There should also be more educational opportunities for women, she added, that would enable them to innovate their own technologies.
The image of a farmer is traditionally attached to males, but many Filipino women have been making their presence felt in the frontlines of food and climate security. (phot credit: CNN Philippines)
Eager to learn
On the education side, Ruthfreya Avila of the Terrapedrito Farm fills that gap through her farming school in Candelaria, Quezon.
Avila’s school runs courses under the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) that teach farmers about agricultural production, organic crops and high-quality inbred rice, seed certification, and farming mechanization.
She assessed that there are more women who are eager to learn than men.
“Dito sa aming kurso napansin namin mas marami ang babae na nagjojoin ng program at sila ‘yung mga passionate, sila ‘yung maraming tanong, at sila ‘yung mga hindi nag-aabsent,” argued Avila. “Hindi katulad noong aming mga male na konti-konti lang parang patak ang ulan ang dating doon sa aming mga TESDA courses.”
[Translation: In our courses, we observed that more women join the program and they are the passionate ones asking a lot of questions and are never absent, unlike the men who attend our TESDA courses less often, as fewer as a drizzle compared to heavy rain.]
However, women are still barred by a patriarchal mindset, with some of them willing to learn but not willing to lead.
“Pag minsan mahina ang loob ng mga kababaihan dahil itong mga kalalakihan para bang binoblock nila ‘yung mga naiisip na enterprise nitong mga kababaihan ... dahil nga siguro meron tayong cultural mindset na mas malakas ang lalaki, mas astig kaysa dito sa mga babae,” lamented Avila. “Pero kung tutuusin, I have seen so many women farmers na mas kumikita sila, mas nakakaipon sila.”
[Translation: Sometimes the women who have enterprise ideas are reluctant to start them because some men are blocking such plans, maybe because we have this cultural mindset that men are stronger and better than women. But let me tell you I have seen so many women farmers who earn and save more.]
Fighting the patriarchy
These patriarchal ideologies extend to indigenous women as well, said Vernie Yocogan-Diano from the Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development.
Diano, an indigenous woman herself, works with organizations in the Cordillera region, including the Cordillera Women’s Education Action Research Center. Her work includes raising awareness and building capacities and spaces for women to break away from patriarchal influence.
She underscored the need to also educate men as they are also “victims” of patriarchal education.
“They are victims of having the patriarchal mindset (that have been brought about by) the education that both men and women received,” said Diano.
She added that women and men alike struggle against the culture of greed from extractive industries.
“This (climate) crisis impacts groups of peoples like indigenous peoples and rural farmers who have contributed least to that crisis. Bearing the brunt of a crisis that you did not create manifests a clear injustice,” said Diano.
Indigenous women either resist against enabling laws or are forced to shift and give up their means of production even when they offer measures, such as planting specific climate-adaptive seeds and plants, that combat climate change.
“Why are indigenous women made to adapt when it should be the actors or systems causing climate change that should adapt to the more viable systems of indigenous peoples?” raised Diano.
IPs have a “deep relationship” with the land and are guided by the principle, “Let us not monopolize the good” or to produce only what can be consumed and gather only what is needed.
“'Yung advocacy ng indigenous peoples, hindi nagkulang [The advocacy of indigenous peoples did not fall short]," said Diano.
Speaking up
However, women are not completely at the mercy of men's dominance and of profit-leaning systems, although making changes requires their strong will.
Lace Viojan, WWF Philippines’ Community Coordinator of Sustainable Food Systems, emphasized the value of women taking chances. She cites herself as an example as she was able to lead projects on food systems despite not having formal education on agriculture. She learned by always attending free learning opportunities.
“It takes some guts, some confidence, some honesty. It takes an open mindset na paano matututo (to learn) and how to apply these things on the ground,” said Viojan.
Viojan also shared an instance when she facilitated a farmers’ group — led by a man — that was facing issues. She suggested a change in leadership and it turned out, the group — which was mostly composed of women — wanted the trusted female secretary to lead them instead.
“We tried letting the group itself, the whole assembly, to speak their mind kung ano talaga sa kanila ‘yung effective na leadership [on what they consider is effective leadership],” she added.
Lastly, from Diano, she said that no doubt the projects led by women will still need the backing of other sectors, including the government. This, according to her, means that women must have the courage to insist for support.
“Kailangan may lakas o may determination 'yung kababaihan... to assert at saka i-demand ‘yung ganito na support [The women must have strength and determination...to asset and demand support] coming from the public or the government, and the power to be unafraid to resist laws, policies and practices that promote pollutive and profit-driven food production,” pointed out Diano.
