Unraveling the Collective Vulnerabilities among Farmhand Mothers

Abstract

Women in a male-dominated industry are plowing towards the mainstream, where women, in their own right, take part and play significant roles. However, for the most part, women have taken the backseat regarding socio-economic opportunities, as men predominantly hold positions in the agricultural labor force. This study focuses on the underrated agricultural laborers of Malaybalay, Bukidnon, Philippines. In particular, this paper accentuates the collective vulnerabilities of farmhand mothers and the power and gender relations in which they are involved. Literature has delved into farm women's diverse roles, barriers, and adaptive capacities. Still, some gaps can be observed in documenting the vulnerabilities intersecting the power and gender relations in which they were involved. To capture the stories of the 25 informants, qualitative narratives were chosen through snowball sampling from the collected KII and FGD. Findings revealed that farmhand mothers begin working at different farms at a young age; shaped by their habitus, they endure rigorous daily routines that extend from dawn until dusk, added to the motherly duties at home that perpetuate their collective vulnerabilities due to physical discomfort, heat exposure, financial strain, and environmental calamities they confront. Furthermore, the gender and power relations involved were: gendered division of labor at work and home, the gender pay gap, decision-making imbalances, and even harassment on the field; as a result, researchers recommend that farm owners must provide conducive workplaces where farmhands can have safety measures, receive work benefits and fair compensation. LGUs should assist and reinforce their policies on labor wages, discrimination, and harassment, and encourage women to work in male-dominated industries.