Women agricultural landowners are currently underexplored in literature, despite their increasing numbers (Effland, Rogers, & Grim, 1993; Jackson-Smith & Petrzelka, 2014; Warren, 2003). Two primary categories of these... [ view full abstract ]
Women agricultural landowners are currently underexplored in literature, despite their increasing numbers (Effland, Rogers, & Grim, 1993; Jackson-Smith & Petrzelka, 2014; Warren, 2003). Two primary categories of these landowners include those who are operating the land themselves, termed here as ‘operating landowners,’ and those who are either leasing the land out to a farm tenant, or not currently using their land for agricultural purposes, called ‘non-operating landowners.’ Regardless of their categorization, these women all experience challenges that stem from being a women in this traditionally male-dominated field.
This study conducts in-depth interviews with 95 women agricultural landowners in Indiana and Illinois. The purpose of these interviews is to determine the challenges they identify in their role, based on gender. We then compare the responses of women non-operating landowners to operating landowners, to determine whether they identify any differing experiences. Existing research tends to focus on the gendered challenges that women landowners face when implementing conservation practices, but our study seeks to fill the gap by understanding more about the challenges they experience as a result of being a woman, regardless of their land management goals. Our results show that these women identify challenges associated with their minority status, social norms, and education. These findings are consistent with theoretical and empirical research that identifies similar experiences for women involved in other fields which have been socially constructed as a male’s role. Lastly, we propose some solutions based on these identified challenges, which may help to improve the gendered experiences of women in agriculture.
