Reframing the Gender Hierarchy: Challenging the Patriarchy Through Visual Analysis of Photos on Agriculture Organization Websites

ABSTRACT

Gendered systems of power in agriculture underpin a heteropatriarchy that disempowers women's participation. To interrogate how imagery may function as both a reflective and perpetuating force in maintaining heteropatriarchy across the agricultural sector we analyzed 357 images on 36 Australian agriculture organization websites, coding them for key attributes. We found most images coded ‘farming’ as inherently masculine and drew on stereotypical notions of the ‘rural man’ and ‘masculinised farmer’. Importantly, the images actively constructed contemporary dimensions of gender inequality by positioning women farmers as peripheral, passive, and lacking in agricultural expertise and knowledge. The images conveyed the overall message that agriculture is a men's domain, and reinforced the heteropatriarchy that contributes to excluding women. Inclusion of diverse knowledges is important in transitioning towards sustainable agriculture. Based on our findings, we present recommendations for inclusive visual representation of women in agriculture.