The ignorance of gender in agrarian livelihoods in rural South Africa

Following the democratic election in 1994 the South African government's agricultural policies have attempted to include a gender focus. However, an understanding of gender appears to be severely limited. Based on a recent study of the agricultural activities of women in a rural village in Limpopo Province, and the provision of services by the local extension office, this article argues that while women are now specifically targeted in agricultural projects, the notion of gender mainstreaming is not understood and consequently not implemented. Their unequal access to resources and the gender differentiation in their roles and responsibilities in the household and broader community is not acknowledged. The result is that rural women do not receive enough support for household food security and in many instances village women have no choice but to revert to traditional practices, which are more appropriate to their daily context than those promoted by extension services.