Knowledge and awareness gaps: Farmers may be unaware of sustainable water management measures, such as effective irrigation methods, water-saving techniques, and crop water requirements. Women farmers’ capacity to make intelligent judgments and successfully implement sustainable water management methods might be hampered by a lack of information and technical expertise.
Financial limitations: Investing upfront in infrastructure, technology, and training is frequently necessary to adopt sustainable water management practices. However, many farmers, particularly smallholders, struggle with money problems and do not have access to finance that is cheap or financial assistance to make these investments. Farmers may be unable to use sustainable water management techniques due to a lack of funding.
Women frequently have less control over resources like water, seeds, and fertilizers since they often have less access to land. Their capacity to decide on crop selection, resource allocation, and farming techniques is impacted by this. Their capacity to embrace sustainable and cutting-edge approaches is constrained by their restricted ability to make decisions, which reduces their agency in agricultural production.
Differences in productivity and income: As a result of the aforementioned limitations, women farmers frequently experience lower production and income levels than their male counterparts. They might not have as much access to training opportunities, extension services, or better agricultural inputs. This causes lower yields and lessens their economic independence, which exacerbates the income and well-being gaps between men and women.
