Female Participation in the National Program for Strengthening Family Agriculture (PRONAF) in Brazil: A Silent Revolution in Agricultural Credit?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48160/22504001er28.511Keywords:
Agricultural credit policy, Women's economic autonomy, Rural development.Abstract
Abstract: Pronaf has emerged as a public policy instrument capable of promoting family farming and contributing to reducing gender inequalities in rural areas. In this context, the objective of this study was to analyze access to Pronaf resources, between 2013 and 2022, in the regions of Brazil; as well as examining the proportion of rural women who had access to program credit; as well as evaluating the impact of this access on their economic autonomy. For that, a descriptive and exploratory literature review was carried out; the quantitative data were extracted from the rural credit data matrix, covering the period from 2013 to 2022, and from the IBGE gender indicators. The analysis of the results evidenced an accentuated concentration of credit value in the South and Southeast regions. On the other hand, the Northeast region exhibited the highest relative share of investment contracts for both genders. The research also highlighted the importance of addressing the reduction of inequality in gender relations and the increase of female autonomy, since gender inequalities in rural areas are reflected in unequal access to program resources. In all regions of the country, men hold a greater amount of credit than women, although there have been advances in female participation in accessing credit. Gender inequalities in rural areas are reflected in unequal access to economic resources and benefits arising from public policies.
Keywords: Agricultural credit policy; women's economic autonomy; rural development.