Unanticipated Unity Within Incidents of Independence: A Photovoice of Ugandan Gender-Based Agriculture Issues

Abstract

As the world continues to grow, so does the need for agricultural productively and sustainably. Globally, women are major contributors to these collaborative efforts and yet they face challenges in being as productive as their male counterparts. In Uganda, the male-dominant realities of agriculture are as strong as the country’s dependence upon it. Agriculture is the backbone of Uganda. Women are responsible for the majority of agriculture production within the country, despite facing a plethora of gender-based barriers. This photovoice study discovered gender-based agriculture issues from the perspective of female Ugandan agriculture producers to make applicable recommendations for improvements. Participants used photography to communicate and craft consensus about their realities. I concluded that women agriculture producers in Uganda overcome multifaceted issues within agriculture starting with basic technical challenges, physical fatigue barriers, additional responsibilities within the home and finances, a lack of help with production, and an overarching lack of control due to gender-based violence. Despite these issues, Ugandan women agriculture producers display unity in self-identification and pride as women farmers. I recommend efforts be made in improving extension solving technical agriculture issues, and education, research and extension investigate, train, and work to end gender-based violence as a tool for control over women in developing, agriculturally based countries.