여성농업인의 경제·사회적 역할 제고방안(2/2차연도)

Abstract

오늘날 여성농업인은 농업의 단순 보조자에서 벗어나 농업 경영자로 활동하는 사례가 증가하고 있다. 지역 전통식품의 손맛을 간직한 기능보유자이자 안전한 농식품 생산에 신뢰가 기대되는 경영인으로 여성농업인의 중요성이 새롭게 부각되고 있다. 특히 농산물 가공, 농촌체험·교육농장에서 여성농업인의 활동은 농업·농촌 자원의 부가가치를 높이는 농업의 6차산업화로 농업의 지속성을 높이는 데 기여하고 있다. 본 연구의 1차연도는 여성농업인의 경제·사회적 역할이 갖는 역동성을 규명하고, 농업 및 농촌 활성화에 기여하는 여성농업인의 사회 참여에 대한 경제적 효과를 분석하였다. 2차연도 연구에서는 여성농업인의 적극적인 경제사회적 활동을 유도하고 그 역할을 강화하도록 법·제도 및 여성농업인 정책 수행기관·단체의 역할 규명을 통해 지역사회에서 여성농업인 지원 체계를 전반적으로 검토한다. 여성농업인이 현실적으로 부딪히는 법·제도를 비롯하여 안전한 농식품 생산자, 농촌공동체의 유지·발전에 기여하는 주체로서 여성농업인의 역할 강화에 필요한 지원조직의 역할과 정책과제를 도출하는 데 그 목적이 있다.

Background of Research Despite women farmers(WFs hereafter) today play more role as business managers than simple labor force, there are still various constraints for WFs in participating in rural affairs related decision making process. To promote socioeconomic activities of WFs, the role of system and practice that WFs face should be addressed as well as the sort of supporting institutions should be identified. Thus, it is necessary to review supporting system for WFs such as laws, system, and supporting institutions and propose policies WFs actually benefit from.

Method of Research A questionnaire survey was conducted from September 10, 2013 to October 10, 2013 to examine the awareness of and satisfaction in policy for WFs, to evaluate supporting institutions, and to figure out WFs' demand toward the institutions. The target audiences were WFs, executives of WFs' associations, and public officials of supporting institutions. The survey for WFs collected the data of 1,067 WFs who are aged 19 years or more and the mode of survey was face-to-face interview method with a structured questionnaire. The survey for executives of WFs' associations collected the data of 179 executives from three associations by mail survey with a structured questionnaire. Lastly, the survey for public officials collected the data of 532 officials by online survey. Meanwhile, the researches including 'Social Capital of Women Farmers', 'The Activities of Center for Women Farmers', 'Local Food Movement in Wanju-gun, Jeollabuk-do', and 'Social Status of Women Farmers and Institutional System' were commissioned to either domestic or foreign researchers working in related fields. Research Results and Implications WFs today are dedicating themselves to enhancing the sustainability of agriculture by means of senary industrialization which increases added value of resources in agriculture and rural community. However, it is true that constraints hindering WFs from participating in government project and decision making process still exist. The biggest obstacle to socioeconomic activities of WFs is heavy burden of labor. According to the result of survey, the reasons for inactiveness in socioeconomic activities are heavy burden of labor from both homemaking and farming and difficulty in seeking opportunity of additional income. As a result, reducing the WFs' labor enables them to enjoy higher quality of life and to create additional income from resources around them, so that rural community will be the good place to live for women. Policy demand of WFs shows the reality of agriculture and rural community. Thus, by creating the system that each WFs' organization cooperates with each other and proposes policies representing regional identities or communal interests and local governments accept them, there will be organic connection between private and public bodies guaranteeing practical policy development. First of all, the plan for working WFs is expanding current 'rural helper program'. However, the name should be 'rural intern program' instead. Also, the infrastructure of staying should be offered to enable migrated(or returned) farmers and urban labor. Second, through regional cooperative program such as food services program during farming season, expanding welfare program to reduce the burden of labor is required. In addition, registering WFs' as co-managers should be encouraged. Also, in case of WFs registered as co-managers, incentives should be offered to foster more WFs as managers. With these ways, the legal status of WFs will be consolidated, and WFs recognize themselves as managers, as a result, WFs will be encouraged to actively participate in farm management. WFs' exercise of their ability as managers will invigorate senary industrialization, create a great working environment for themselves, as a result, create great rural communities to live.

Researchers: Eun-Mee Jeong, Yong-Ryel Kim, Seok-Doo Park, Woo-Tae Kim Research period: 2013. 1. ~ 2013. 10. E-mail address: jeongem@krei.re.kr