Socio-professional insertion of women in beef cattle in Brazil

The factors involving the management of rural properties go beyond merely productive issues as they involve generational aspects and gender issues. This study aims to analyze the socio-professional insertion of women in management and decision-making in various beef cattle farming plans in Brazil. The research took place in 2020, with 70 women, distributed across seven Brazilian states. Data were obtained through structured questionnaires consisting of open and closed questions, in intentional sampling, with quantitative and qualitative variables sent through a link to an online form via WhatsApp or E-mail, to people related to the researchers, or of the respondents themselves. The results show that 61% of the women in the sample are between 30 and 59 years old, half of them are married and 94% have a higher education degree. In relation to its production units, 84% belong to the family, while 63% are considered large. Regarding direct interference and decision-making power, 52% of cases stated that they always decide alone when it comes to purchasing inputs and animals, 56% in health management and 60% in reproductive management and genetic choice. When analyzing the management of establishments, it is clear that women are the main managers in 33% of cases while the father figure appears in 38% of decisions. Although higher than the national average (18.6%), as shown by data from the last Agricultural Census, the results showed that in this sample universe, women still occupy the supporting role in an eminently male agricultural sector. These results allow to conclude that although there have been significant improvements in more recent periods, women are still in the process of being inserted into culturally masculine activities, such as beef cattle farming, where the main tool for inclusion is educational level.