Pregnancy, Childcare, and Pesticides: Understanding the Health Risks of Women and Children in Small-Scale Horticulture in Tanzania

Women play a significant role in agriculture worldwide, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, where they form a large share of the workforce in horticulture. Horticulture work may expose women to pesticides during pregnancy and childcare, posing serious health risks to women and children. This study explores the experiences of women working in small-scale horticulture in Tanzania during pregnancy and childcare, to understand exposure risks and suggest safety-enhancing interventions. Using the theory of planned behavior framework, five focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with women aged from early 20s to mid-40s. The inductive thematic analysis was used for the analysis of the FGDs. We found that gendered roles in horticulture theoretically assign pesticide spraying to men, with women typically handling lighter tasks. However, when men are unavailable, women, even when pregnant, take on all duties, including pesticide spraying. Financial pressures force many women to work during pregnancy and postpartum, sometimes bringing infants into the horticulture environments. Despite some protective efforts reported by women, inadequate safety practices persist due to a lack of formal training on pesticide use. Therefore, traditional gender roles, poverty, and pesticide exposure intersect to create an occupational health challenge for women in small-scale horticulture. The absence of women-centered training on pesticide safety increases health risks both for women and their children. This study recommends gender-sensitive health training, improved access to protective equipment, and economic empowerment for women to help reduce these risks.