Agricultural Resource Inequalities Across Gender and Generations: Institutional Conditions, Productive Capabilities and Pathways toward Inclusive Rural Development

This paper examines inequalities in access to agricultural resources through the interconnected dimensions of gender, generation, institutions and structural conditions. Drawing on the recent literature, it analyzes how women and rural youth experience unequal access to land, credit, extension services, technologies, productive assets, training, digital resources, markets and decision-making authority. The review shows that formal access to agricultural resources does not necessarily translate into effective control or comparable productive outcomes. Women frequently face constraints related to property rights, household bargaining power, financial exclusion, gender norms and unequal returns to productive resources, while young people encounter difficulties associated with land scarcity, inheritance systems, limited capital, inadequate training and restricted access to viable agribusiness opportunities. The analysis further highlights the importance of institutional arrangements, collective action, climate resilience, irrigation, labor markets and complementary productive assets in shaping the capacity of different social groups to benefit from agriculture. The paper argues that inequalities are multidimensional and cumulative rather than attributable to a single constraint. Policies aimed at improving agricultural inclusion should therefore combine secure resource access with strengthened agency, financial capacity, knowledge, institutional participation and opportunities to control the economic benefits generated by agricultural production.