From the Field to the Table: Forging International ‘Communiversity’ Research Partnership between Malaysian and Indonesian Universities on Women’s Invisible Farming Labour Roles

By, Rohaiza Rokis

The Department of Sociology and Anthropology (SOCA) at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) and Fakultas Ilmu Sosial dan Ilmu Politik (FISIP) at Universitas Padjadjaran (UNPAD) in Bandung, Indonesia, forged a research collaboration. The partnership, which was formed during the week-long SOCA-UNPAD 2024 engagement from 12-18 September 2024, after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), aims to explore the impacts of gendered labour roles on women’s invisible contributions to the agricultural sector. 

In the discussions, both parties agreed on a few research topics or areas that focus on the invisible roles of women in farming experienced by women in both countries. These topics are: interest in women as informal agricultural labourers, the impacts of climate change on women’s tea picking work to sewing, women’s contribution to household food security, gender division of labour of farming practices, the impacts of cultural norms on women’s agricultural roles, women in agroecological knowledge and environmental sustainability, migration and its effects on women’s agricultural roles. These topics offer critical research areas that highlight women’s often invisible yet crucial roles in farming and agriculture across Southeast Asia, particularly in Malaysia and Indonesia. 

Photo1:Desa Cileles agricultural farm

As part of this collaboration, both research teams conducted a community engagement project at Desa Cileles and an initial fieldwork project at Desa Rancakalong, located in Kecamatan Jatinangor, Kabupaten Sumedang, West Java. The community engagement and fieldwork involved observing and collecting data to understand rural communities’ gendered dimensions of farming labour. Initial findings highlight a striking similarity in women’s agricultural roles in Malaysia and Indonesia, where women play a vital yet under-recognised role in sustaining household food security and community well-being.

Photo 2: SOCA (IIUM) and FISIP (UNPAD) academics-researchers in the fieldwork at Desa Rancakalong

Once we completed our short community engagement and fieldwork, the SOCA (IIUM) and FISIP (UNPAD) academics-researchers sat down at the meeting table, setting again to fine-tune and match collaborative research plans. 

Photo 3: SOCA and FISIP academics arrived at one common ground in research plans. 

Invisible Labour and Gender Disparities

A lot of research studies confirm that much of women’s labour in agriculture, particularly in small-scale and subsistence farming, remains invisible and unpaid. Women in rural settings are often responsible for growing food, processing crops, and maintaining livestock while managing domestic responsibilities such as cooking, cleaning, and caregiving. Despite these essential roles, their contributions are rarely acknowledged economically, marginalising them financially.

Photo 4: The farming tools which are closely related to women’s role

Societal norms reinforce this invisibility by framing women’s agricultural work as an extension of their domestic duties rather than productive labour. As a result, women are often excluded from formal agricultural training and extension services, limiting their access to tools and technologies that could enhance their productivity. This exclusion perpetuates economic inequality and reduces women’s financial independence. A specific research effort is needed to see whether this situation happens in communities in Malaysia and Indonesia. 

The Burden of a “Triple Workload”

Researchers have described rural women as facing a “triple workload” as they try to balance agricultural labour, domestic responsibilities, and caregiving. This heavy burden limits their ability to participate in educational opportunities, training, or income-generating ventures. The research partnership aims to highlight these challenges and advocate for policy changes that reduce women’s disproportionate workload while recognising their contributions to agricultural development.

Photo 5: Drying corn at Desa Cileles

The research teams emphasised the importance of recognising and valuing women’s invisible labour in agriculture. By integrating the lived experiences of women farmers from Malaysia and Indonesia, this collaboration aims to uncover the structural barriers perpetuating gender disparities in farming communities. The “communiversity” model combines academic research with community engagement and offers a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between theory and practice. Researchers hope their findings will influence policy changes that address the unequal distribution of labour in farming, empower women economically, and provide practical solutions for reducing women’s agricultural burdens.

This research partnership strengthens academic ties between Malaysia and Indonesia and opens the door to collaborative efforts to tackle gender inequality in agriculture across the region.***

(The writer is Associate Professor Dr. Rohaiza Rokis (SOCA academic and Head of Women for Progress Research Unit, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, AbdulHamid AbuSulayman Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences, International Islamic University Malaysia.)