SOCIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF WOMEN’S DISCRIMINATION AS A CAUSATIVE FACTOR OF POOR SUGARCANE PRODUCTIVITY IN PAKISTAN

The world’s half population is consisting of women. Their role is equally important as men in the development of society as they are performing their duties in each sector, however, their role is not getting acceptance in patriarchal societies. Keeping these views in mind, the present study was conducted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa-Pakistan to explore women’s role in the agriculture sector. A sample of 384 respondents belonging to farming communities was selected through a multi-stage random sampling technique. The data was collected from female respondents through an interview schedule with the help of female investigators keeping in view the cultural sensitivity of the area. The collected information was analyzed into bi-variate and multivariate results. Findings of the study indicated that the women are oppressed from their basic rights of land ownership, property rights, they cannot control their agricultural lands, they are not provided any agricultural-related training, not the part of any village-based association, and did not have means of access to agricultural credits due to which sugarcane productivity of Pakistani farmers are decreasing. Strengthening basic women’s land rights (ownership, use, sale, signing agreements, etc.) and their direct involvement in mainstream agriculture is important, however, a socially sensitive issue that should be addressed gradually keeping in view the cultural sensitivities of the area