Empoderamento feminino na agricultura: um estudo de caso na Lar Cooperativa Agroindustrial (Paraná)

Abstract

This work aimed at measuring and analyzing the empowerment of women, mostly farmers, associated with Lar Cooperativa Agroindustrial or participants through the association with their husbands. In order to obtain the results, primary data were collected through interviews with 150 couples (300 individuals), divided into two research groups, treatment and control, distributed in 5 municipalities in the western region of Paraná, where the Cooperative operates. Based on these data, a descriptive analysis was carried out, followed by the application of an adaptation of the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI). The result of the adapted WEAI empowerment score for women in both groups indicated that they are empowered, as they meet the adequacy in more than 80% of the indicators considered; however, the score of women in the treatment group was higher than that of the control group. The sensitivity test regarding other cutoff points confirmed the result. The difference in empowerment between the two groups suggests that participation in the activities promoted by the Female Leadership Development Program (maintained by Lar), whose women in the treatment group are included, contributes to the creation of conditions favorable to the greater involvement of women in the agricultural decision-making process. Furthermore, despite experiencing a high level of empowerment, the gender gap in favor of men exists, especially among the households in the control group. This result shows that, although the status of women in agriculture in western Paraná is different, the gender gap in favor of men prevails. Also, from the interviewees' perception about entrepreneurship and Lar's contribution in this aspect, the recognition of the importance of activities that stimulate entrepreneurship and greater female performance in agriculture, especially promoted by the cooperative. In order to improve such initiatives, courses on agriculture, property management, financial management and information technology have been suggested to enable women to train and encourage them to make decisions based on knowledge.