摘要
In the rural areas where most of the world＇s hungry people live, women produce most of the locally consumed food. Their contribution could be much greater if they had equal access to essential resources and services, such as land, credit, and training. In Sudan, women have always been active in agriculture and food security, constituting 17% to agricultural labor force. However, culture coupled with imperfections of official data underestimates their contribution. Accordingly, this study was carried out in the western part of Sudan, namely, North Kordofan State in order to identify and assess the role of women in agriculture and food security and identify the main factors and constraints affecting their contribution to agricultural production in the state. The findings confirm that women contribute 74% to the monthly agricultural income, 65% to total income, 62% to the labor work, and 65% to the household activities. Their average daily working hours are 14, while, those of men are only 8. The study suggests that the removal of the obstacles those women face could increase their contribution to and enhances the livelihood of the people in the state. Hence, a review to the relevant government policies is needed, so that women are empowered by improving their access to resources and credit.
