Struggle, strength and wisdom: Snapshots of Bangladesh’s women farmers

The story of agriculture in Bangladesh is also a story of the resilience of Bangladeshi women.

Rural women make up about half of farm labour, and contribute between a quarter and half of household income. In addition to regular household chores and care work that fall to women, they are involved in every aspect of agriculture: tilling the fields, post-harvest activities, growing vegetables and kitchen gardens, rearing ducks and other poultry, milking cows, farming sheep and goats, and, crucially, fetching water for family use.

These contributions are often unpaid and unrecognized, both within the household and in the nation’s statistics, rendering their efforts invisible. The following stories from around the country not only celebrate the women they profile, but also illustrate that if women have the chance to participate in decision-making, the whole community benefits.