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Literature Review and Annotated Bibliography 1st Edition – March 2012 United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women Pacific Sub-Regional Office Level 5, Vanua House Victoria Parade Suva, Fiji Tel: +679 330 1178 Fax: +679 330 1654
Rural Pacific Island Women and Agriculture: Literature Review and Annotated Bibliography Copyright: UN Women Pacific 2012 Cover Photo: Jeffrey Feeger
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Acknowledgements 6
FOREWORD 7 INTRODUCTION 9
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Types of Agriculture in the Pacific 10 Women and Agriculture in the Pacific: A Basic Overview 10 Women and Agriculture in Pacific Island Countries 14
Cook Islands 14 Federated States of Micronesia 14 Fiji 14 Kiribati 14 Nauru 15 Niue 15 Papua New Guinea 15 Samoa 16 Solomon Islands 17 Tonga 17 Tuvalu 17 Vanuatu 17
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Gender Roles and the Gendered Division of Labor 18 Land Tenure Practices 19 Physical Location 19 Social Context in Pacific Island Countries 20
Fiji 20 Kiribati 20 Niue 21 Papua New Guinea 22 Samoa 22 Solomon Islands 22 Territory of Wallis and Futuna 22 Tonga 22 Vanuatu 23
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Unequal Access to Land 24 Unequal Access to Training, Credit, and Job Opportunities 24 Unequal Time Burden 25 Climate Change 25 Persistent Gender Discrimination 25 Challenges in Pacific Island Countries 26
Federated State of Micronesia 26 Fiji 26 Kiribati 26 Nauru 27 Niue 27 Papua New Guinea 27 Samoa 28 Solomon Islands 28 Tonga 28 Vanuatu 29
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Introduction of Gender Inclusive Mechanisms 30 Implementation of Evidence-Based Public Policy 30 Improving Women’s Access to Credit, Training and Other Services 30 Introduction of Appropriate Technology 31 Active Consultation with Women as Stakeholders 31 Provision of Opportunities Without Increasing Heavy Workloads 31
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY: PACIFIC ISLAND WOMEN AND AGRICULTURE 32 - 36 $FNQRZOHGJHPHQWV
UN Women acknowledges the work of Dr. Susan Dewey (Assistant Professor of Gender & Women’s Studies, University of Wyoming) in researching, preparing, and composing this annotated bibliography and literature review. It also acknowledges all contributors, including Robin Hide, Nancy Pollock, and Penelope Schoeffel, who provided additional sources. UN Women and AusAID cofinanced publication. UN Women acknowledges Jeffrey Feeger, PNG artist, for permission to use his image on the cover.
5XUDO3DFLÀF,VODQG:RPHQDQG$JULFXOWXUH A Literature Review and Annotated Bibliography )RUHZRUG
Women play a prominent role in agricultural production throughout the Pacific Island region. Whether engaged in subsistence farming to feed their immediate families or growing cash crops to sell in the market, women’s agricultural labor is an indispensible part of food production and consumption practices. The ways in which Pacific Island women participate in agriculture vary by island and local cultural norms, yet women’s critical contributions in planting, tending, and harvesting crops and edible marine life sustain the majority of families throughout the region.
The increasing global concerns about food security are even more urgent in the Pacific due to the impact of climate change, which most experts agree is clearly evident in the rising ocean levels that already threaten some island populations. As the governments of island nations seek to reduce