The Legal Status of Female Agricultural Workers
The “Empower Her” project in Egypt, implemented in collaboration with and under the patronage of the Slovenian Embassy in Cairo, aims to bridge the gap between gender equality and environmental sustainability through integrated legal solutions for rural women’s rights. The project seeks to empower women in rural communities by addressing legal challenges, promoting legal awareness through outreach campaigns, and providing affordable legal access. Additionally, it aims to enhance sustainable environmental practices, improve health conditions, and reduce pollution.
Overview of the Study
The study focused on a comprehensive analysis of the situation, examining Egypt’s legal and environmental frameworks, particularly in the Delta region. The goal was to identify gender gaps and propose solutions to enhance inclusivity. A participatory and evidence-based approach was used, combining thorough desk research, stakeholder consultations, and data analysis to assess the main challenges and opportunities. Gender-sensitive practices were integrated into the study, ensuring that the recommendations were both evidence-based and responsive to the diverse needs of rural women and other stakeholders.
The Importance of Female Agricultural Labor
Female agricultural labor plays a crucial role in sustaining agricultural activities over the years. The agricultural sector constitutes a significant portion of Egypt’s economy, and women make up nearly half of the agricultural workforce in its various forms. This section examines the structure of women’s labor and how labor laws and social insurance regulations address aspects such as work contracts, working hours, social insurance for old age, disability, and death, and health insurance.
Informal Nature of Agricultural Labor
Agricultural labor for women is generally informal, whether stable or seasonal. It lacks work contracts, professional guarantees against arbitrary dismissal, protection from workplace injuries, or safe transportation. Women’s labor ranges from temporary and seasonal work to unpaid family work. Young girls also form a substantial segment of agricultural workers, particularly in seasonal crop harvesting.
Legal Frameworks and Gaps
Egypt’s Labor Law No. 12 of 2003 governs work relationships between employers and employees, with specific provisions for women and children. The law delegates the regulation of temporary and seasonal labor to the relevant minister’s decree. However, the law excludes female agricultural workers from rights such as childcare facilities, maternity leave, breastfeeding hours, and workplace injury protections. Direct agricultural activities like soil preparation, planting, and harvesting are exempt from these rights, whereas supplementary agricultural work like poultry raising and administrative tasks are not.
For child labor, the law prohibits employment of children under 14 years (the age for completing basic education) and restricts their working hours to six hours daily in non-hazardous jobs. However, agricultural child labor is excluded from these protections, leaving girls vulnerable to hazardous conditions such as exposure to fertilizers, pesticides, sexual violence, and unsafe transportation.
Social Insurance and Healthcare Coverage
Social Insurance and Pension Law No. 148 of 2019 extends social insurance to female agricultural workers under varied conditions, including temporary, seasonal, and smallholder labor. The law defines irregular labor to include temporary workers and small-scale landowners. However, insurance coverage depends on workers’ contributions. Agricultural workers must contribute 9% of the subscription cost, while the state treasury contributes 12% of the minimum subscription wage. This structure contrasts with other labor sectors, where employers are required to contribute directly.
This disparity reduces the likelihood of female agricultural workers obtaining coverage for old age, disability, and death. Additionally, since healthcare coverage is tied to social insurance, these workers face multidimensional poverty, encompassing both income and health insecurities. However, the 2018 Comprehensive Health Insurance Law aims to extend healthcare coverage to all Egyptians. Implementation has started in select governorates and is expected to expand nationwide by 2030.
Challenges and Vulnerabilities
Female agricultural workers in Egypt live under precarious conditions due to the absence of work contracts and inadequate workplace protections, such as safeguards against heat stress and respiratory and skin diseases from fertilizers and pesticides. They also face risks of sexual violence and fatal accidents either at work or during transportation. Agricultural labor is demanding, yet women receive insufficient financial returns or social protections, leaving them vulnerable in cases of illness, old age, or disability.
