Labour-burdened women utilising their marginalised indigenous knowledge in food production processes: The case of Khambashe rural households, Eastern Cape, South Africa

This article will discuss the intra-household labour allocations and how they impact on intra-household dynamics and the welfare of households. It builds upon fieldwork conducted in Khambashe rural households in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Questionnaires and in-depth interviews were utilised and data was analysed through thematic analysis and the Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings indicated that the different roles played by men and women in the application of indigenous knowledge (IK) in food production processes reflect the power relations in societies. Women face the burden of ensuring that households are food secure and in so doing perform most of the tasks. They carry out essential tasks in food production processes which include planting, hoeing, weeding and harvesting using local tools and with little assistance from men. Women’s role in food security and as stewards of indigenous knowledge should be acknowledged and augmented by equitable labour and resource allocations. More emphasis should be placed on redressing the subjugatory gender relations which marginalise and deter the full potential of women and the IK they possess to inform sustainable rural development.