Long invisible, women in the agricultural world are organizing to assert
their place in a profession shaped by masculine norms and a persistentpatriarchy. In a context of identity withdrawal where rurality is
imagined as a bastion of tradition, they are denouncing a much more
complex reality, one of inequalities, struggles, and solidarity. Faced
with the male domination that structures labor relations and rural
imaginaries, women farmers are gradually forging a collective and
feminist consciousness in the agricultural sector.
In political discourse, both on the right and sometimes on the left,
rurality is touted as a preserved space, steeped in tradition. This
imaginary is linked to a very masculine vision of the agricultural
sector and where physical strength is valued. The result is a work
organization centered on masculine norms and a patriarchy structuring
behaviors, social relations, and legitimacy within the profession. This
bias persists in a context where the agricultural world, more than other
professional sectors, remains a bastion of resistance to feminist
transformations.
A slow evolution, rooted in a fantasy rurality
Historically, women have always worked on farms. Yet, until the end of
the 20th century, they remained in the shadows: without status, rights,
or visibility. They were considered "the farmer's wife," unrecognized as
professionals in their own right. It wasn't until the 1990s that a
structured movement began to gain recognition for their role. Thus, in
1999, the status of collaborating spouse was established. In 2010,
spouses could now form partnerships within a Joint Agricultural Farming
Group (GAEC). Finally, in 2012, quotas for women in Chambers of
Agriculture were established. But despite these advances, the
feminization of the sector has stagnated. In 2020, only 26% of those
registered as farmers or co-farmers were women-a figure that has
declined slightly over the past ten years. Unsurprisingly, the
statistics overlook all those who work unregistered, on the margins of
family farming[1].
Although women have always been part of the agricultural world and
participated in the running of farms, they have long enjoyed no status
or professional recognition.
National Library of France
On farms, the gendered division of labor remains pervasive. Women are
confined to productive tasks considered secondary and, as in other
sectors, also handle domestic tasks. This dual role is all the more
burdensome in agriculture as the boundaries between private and
professional life are particularly blurred.
Faced with this reality, many women are choosing to organize themselves
in groups of chosen single-sex groups. This is not a new trend, but
historically more rooted in traditional structures such as the Catholic
Agricultural Youth or domestic science education, this type of practice
has spread to other sectors since the 1970s.
To justify the creation of these spaces, activists initially relied on a
differentialist conception of gender, where "feminine" identity plays a
social role complementary to "masculine" identity. In the agricultural
sector, single-sex women's groups have long evolved, in particular to
avoid the tensions and divisions inherent in these spaces, which are
largely dominated by men. This withdrawal has been accompanied by a
desire to develop another form of activism: inclusive, non-union, based
on listening and conviviality. These spaces of seclusion have thus
contributed to the gradual politicization of gender inequalities,
allowing many women farmers to put their experiences into words and to
collectivize issues long relegated to the private sphere[2].
For a Peasant Feminism
This dynamic invites us to question the complex relationship that women
farmers have with feminism. While few of them explicitly identify as
feminists, many nevertheless share its objectives. Far from radicalism,
most often prefer a reformist approach, based on the law. But feminist
slogans are increasingly emerging.
The Confédération paysanne plays a central role in this rise to power.
In the 1990s, the union set up a women's committee which achieved
significant victories: GAEC (shared cooperatives) between spouses,
parity in bodies, maternity leave, decent retirement... It also
campaigned for more symbolic, but essential tools: inclusive writing,
non-mixed training, recognition of women's voice... These struggles are
now being championed and reaffirmed by the union, as evidenced by the
"Declaration of the 84 Peasant Women"[3]and the guidelines adopted at
the last Conf' Congress[4].
Alongside union work, organizations such as the Federation of
Associations for the Development of Agricultural and Rural Employment
(FADEAR), a network of associations dedicated to developing the Conf's
political agenda, and the Initiative Centers for Promoting Agriculture
and the Rural Environment (CIVAM), produce numerous support tools and
work to structure single-sex groups. These initiatives promote the
development of women's technical skills (machine operation, welding,
mechanics), as well as the sharing of experiences, the creation of
solidarity networks, and the reaffirmation of their legitimacy. The
"Elles de l'Adage" group in Ille-et-Vilaine is a key example[5].
Towards a More Inclusive Rurality
Despite these advances, there is still a long way to go. Gender issues
in agriculture often remain centered on binary relationships and do not
yet fully integrate issues related to the experiences of LGBTI people,
who struggle to find spaces to speak out. And yet, addressing gender
identities in rural areas also means tackling one of the last bastions
of a deeply entrenched patriarchy.
Norms of masculinity shape not only the division of agricultural labor,
but also forms of professional legitimacy and social positions.
Deconstructing these norms not only means defending the rights of women
and gender minorities, it also means profoundly transforming the world
of farming. It means questioning what it means to "be a farmer" today,
and opening this space to pluralities of identities and trajectories.
Faced with the reactionary temptation to freeze rurality into a virile
and homogenous image, the struggles of rural women are charting another
path: that of a plural, inclusive, and united rurality.
Lysandre (UCL Vosges)
Validate
[1]"Women Peasants: Setting Up in Agriculture: Obstacles and Levers,"
FADEAR, 2020.
[2]Clémentine Comer, "Between Women Farmers? The Ambiguous Impacts of a
Single-sex Commitment," Métropolitiques, 2021.
[3]"Declaration of the 84 peasant women of the Confédération Paysanne
meeting on November 16 and 17, 2023, in Montreuil." ", Peasant
Confederation, 2023.
[4]"Congress of the Peasant Confederation: Consolidating its
Foundations, Questioning its Limits," Alternative Libertaire No. 360,
May 2025.
[5]"Les Elles de l'ADAGE, CIVAM d'Ille et Vilaine," CIVAM, 2025.
https://www.unioncommunistelibertaire.org/?Monde-agricole-Les-paysannes-dans-les-sillons-du-genre
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