Women Farmers Study Continues in Myanmar

To better understand the needs of women farmers in the countries where we work, in 2022 we began our women farmers study, learning from nearly 300 women in India, the Philippines, Tanzania, and Uganda.

This year, our study continues in Myanmar, where we started our research by talking with successful women farmers about the challenges they face and the opportunities they have found.

“I have a passion for growing vegetables, and I attend training and learn constantly,” said one rural woman farmer, explaining why her farm is thriving. “Also, since it’s my own business, I’m determined to make it successful.” 

Focus group discussions and one-on-one interviews are helping us to map the landscape for women farmers in Myanmar and identify additional steps we could take to achieve our goal of a vibrant, inclusive farming sector. 

With more information about the education levels of the farmers we are working with, for instance, we can prioritize ensuring that our informational materials are easily understandable by women whose formal education did not go beyond primary school. Determining women farmers’ access to smartphones and the internet, and learning how they currently use their phones, helps us better position digital learning initiatives like VeggieTap, our interactive guide to vegetable production. 

One preliminary finding from the study in Myanmar is a lack of consistent vegetable consumption in some farmers’ households. The EWS-KT Myanmar team already has a plan to address this by leveraging the nutrition guide and training banners they developed during a team training on nutrition this year.

Another preliminary finding, that women farmers are requesting additional training in pest and disease management, fertilization, and seedling production, can help guide our future training sessions.

We look forward to learning more as we complete our research in Myanmar and analyze the valuable responses from women farmers.

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