INTERGENERATIONAL ROLES AND EXPERIENCES OF WOMEN FARMERS (Atena Editora)

Abstract

Introduction: Women play an important role in agricultural activities; however, their contribution is little recognized by society. Objectives: To understand the experiences and different roles of women farmers in the rural community in families with three generations linked to agriculture, with the aim of identifying ways to make them visible. Methods: Qualitative research study, using the life stories method. 11 participants were selected from four Portuguese families linked to agriculture, eight women and three men. The data collected was subject to thematic analysis supported by the Nvivo® software version 12. Ethical principles were respected, informed consent and approval by an ethics committee were obtained. Results: In the transmission of agricultural knowledge, learning from parents stands out. In the experience lived by women in agriculture, the feeling of appreciation for the family and happiness stands out, and the greatest difficulty is agricultural work during pregnancy. There are differences between women and men in agriculture, which leads to the idea that men have more strength, but women are more active and can do everything equally or even better than men. In the affirmation of women in the rural community, the role of women in organizing harvesting activities, such as harvesting, harvesting and defoliation, is highlighted. Conclusions: Women have an active participation in the organization of agricultural activities, which they essentially learn from their parents. Despite reporting happiness in experiencing agricultural life, she mentions working in agriculture during pregnancy as her main difficulty. There are differences between women and men when carrying out agricultural activities.