Multifaceted Constraints Faced by Women Farmers in Selected Rural Villages in Malaysia

Abstract

Rural women farmers played critical roles in the agriculture sector with significant contributions to food production. However, they face a variety of obstacles which makes it difficult for them to practice agriculture and build sustainable livelihoods. These challenges can differ depending on multi-aspects including location, culture and economic situation. This paper will examine the multifaceted constraints faced by the women farmers from selected rural villages at Tenom, one of a district in the Sabah state of Malaysia through a mixed-method approach using focus group discussion (FGD) and quantitative analysis on secondary data source. For the purpose of this analysis, purposive sampling was used to reach out to rural women farmers as participants in the FGD sessions. Four groups of FGD were held with eight participants involved in each group. Based on the FGD session, this study identified four key themes: (1) workload and time constraints; (2) financial and resource inclusion; (3) lack of education and training; and (4) infrastructure and market access. The findings reveal that women farmers often shoulder dual responsibilities of household care and farm work, leading to significant time limitations. Limited access to financial capital, farming inputs and support networks further restrict their agricultural efficiency. The key findings from this study will therefore provide useful recommendation for policymakers to develop remedy  strategies that can deal with the identified constraints.