Gendered decision-making and division of labour in Cambodia and Thailand

Although agricultural households operate on the basis of the gendered division of labour, it is not clear whether a similar division of labour occurs with respect to decision-making when it comes to agricultural activities. This paper reports on three empirical studies conducted in Cambodia and Thailand with a total sample size of 520 respondents. The sample consists entirely of women, many of whom were heads of households. The surveys discovered information about gender and decision-making in terms of new inputs into production (e.g. insecticides and fertilisers) and in livestock management. It was observed that different decision-making processes were followed when a woman was head of the household rather than a man and factors contributing to this result are explained. Implications and recommendations are discussed, along with the necessary limitations to the research in terms of time and space.