Gender inequality in rural Georgia: challenges and pathways for parity in agrifood systems

Rural women in Georgia make important contributions across the spectrum of activities in agrifood systems, working in food production, processing and sales. Yet, according to the National gender profile of agriculture and rural livelihoods: Georgia by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), they face significant intersecting inequalities, marginalization and discrimination.

The report sheds light on gender issues in rural households and family farming, focusing on different agriculture subsectors, fisheries and forestry. It addresses critical issues, such as women’s access to rural infrastructure and services, responses to climate change, the impact of uncertainties and shocks,  and provides an overview of key progress areas and challenges since the release of the first country gender assessment Gender, agriculture and rural development in Georgia in 2018. 

The country gender assessment reveals an imbalance in poverty levels, with a higher proportion of the rural population living in absolute poverty compared to the urban areas. In rural areas, the women involved in agriculture face even greater poverty risks. The number of people of not formally employed or in education or training is three times higher in rural areas compared to urban settlements, with young women being more likely to be affected than young men. The gender wage gap persists across production and post-harvest business activities in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, creating economic inequalities, social exclusion of women and limiting the overall potential of economic growth of different regions of Georgia.  

Rural women in Georgia have limited access to key productive assets, services and opportunities due to many compounding factors related to the discriminatory norms and socioeconomic context of rural, mountainous and remote areas that generate and entrench gender inequalities. Women are ten times more likely than men to work in food production, particularly in processing agricultural products for household consumption. This significant contribution illustrates women’s strength and resilience in supporting both their households and the broader economy. However, despite their crucial role, a disproportionate share of unpaid work is still the norm in both rural and urban populations in Georgia. Agricultural support programmes often lack a more inclusive strategy to effectively target women as active participants and recipients. Moreover, while public perceptions of equal inheritance rights are improving, women remain a minority among property owners in Georgia. Despite legal equality in ownership, official data highlights significant inequality in landownership, with men holding a far greater share of agricultural land.

Without targeted and gender-responsive policies, rural women will continue facing barriers that prevent them from fully engaging in agrifood systems, society and the economy and from becoming leaders for change and progress. Yet there are important improvements to women’s needs within agricultural and climate change strategies and better awareness about gender equality. For example, Rural Development Agency, the structure within the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia has taken several steps to enhance its capacity for gender mainstreaming. The Georgian Farmers’ Association is working towards its goal of achieving gender balance: Thirty-five percent of individual members (farmers) were women in 2023. 

The report highlights the need for continuous efforts for addressing gender disparities across various aspects of agriculture and rural livelihoods in Georgia. It identifies the areas where gender mainstreaming can be further strengthened, particularly, through context-specific strategies. These initiatives are also critical in reaching out to women in rural areas for their knowledge and skills development through diverse programmes including, for example, training, skills development and capacity building, using methods such as rural advisory services, farmer field schools or entrepreneurship support. The report also advocates for adopting new approaches to transform the systems that perpetuate inequality. It calls for a gender analysis of crop production, animal husbandry, fisheries and forestry sectors, to support the development of agricultural value chains, which is a national priority for Georgia. The FAO National gender profile of agriculture and rural livelihoods underscores opportunities for enhancing women’s empowerment in agriculture and rural development and provides actionable recommendations to all relevant actors on building a future where no one is left behind from the benefits of sustainable agrifood systems.