The invisible labour in agriculture: Agricultural extension and the role of organisations in shaping gender equity in Guatemala

Sammanfattning

Women play a crucial role in the agricultural sector worldwide, yet their contributions remain largely informal and unrecognised. They face persistent structural barriers and invisible labour burdens, receiving only around 5% of agricultural extension services (knowledge, training, and advisory services offered to farmers by governments, NGOs, and other institutions) globally. This study investigates how organisations implement gender approaches in practice, examining the conditions under which these contribute to tangible improvements in women's lives. It identifies the barriers constraining gender-responsive extension delivery and proposes pathways to strengthen it, advancing women's empowerment and gender equity in rural communities. Drawing on Feminist Political Economy as it is theoretical lens, this study employs a qualitative, multiple case-study design comparing two organisations of similar position and scope. Data was collected through eight semi-structured interviews, complemented by document analysis and a literature review, and analysed using an abductive, hybrid coding approach, grounded in both theory and data. This research identified three main categories of barriers to women’s extension: institutional, structural, and intersectional. A striking finding was the observed gap between theoretical and policy commitments and practice, observed across how organisations design, implement, and evaluate the gender approaches analysed. Lastly, a model with three interconnected pathways was developed including structural change, operational transformation and community-grounded approaches, to identify specific actions through which organisations can further enhance gender equity between rural communities in Guatemala. This thesis highlights that barriers, organisational practices, and opportunities for change are deeply interconnected, demanding nuanced, sustained responses rather than generalised solutions, recognising that progress in one area can generate transformative ripple effects across others.