Keywords
gender-sensitive, pesticide exposure, pesticide safety, barriers, participation, least developed countries
Abstract
Pesticide use continues to rise in least developed countries (LDCs), where weak regulations, limited safety training, and low access to personal protective equipment increase the risk of pesticide exposure for farming families. Pesticide safety programs generally target farmers and focus on pesticide mixing and application. However, this approach can unintentionally exclude women, as many women in LDCs may not identify as farmers but engage in activities that could result in pesticide exposure. Without proper knowledge and training, women cannot make informed decisions and take actions that protect their health and the health of their families. Therefore, Extension professionals should engage with women prior to program design to consider cultural norms, address barriers to participation, and ensure programming meets their gender-specific needs.This research note draws on experiences from a pesticide risk reduction project in Senegal and a literature review to identify barriers that prevent women in LDCs from benefitting equally from pesticide safety programs. Evidence-based strategies are then recommended to help educators work with women to understand the activities they are engaged in that that could lead to exposure, the barriers they face in participating in pesticide programs, and their underlying knowledge and pesticide safety goals. Educators can then use this information to identify strategies that will ensure their programs provide equal benefits to women.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Recommended Citation
Halbleib, M. L.,
&
Dinsdale, B.
(2025).
Planning for Gender Equality: Ensuring Pesticide Educational Programming Protects Women.
Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education, 32(1).
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4148/2831-5960.1495
