アーカイブ

Myanmar is divided into seven States which mainly cover the hill regions and seven Divisions which cover the plain areas. The diversity of climate and soil types favors the production of a relatively wide range of crops. Farmers have developed their farming technologies together with farm implements over time. These largely depend on agro-ecological suitability such as rainfall, soil type, nature of the crops grown and socio-economic condition of local people. Farm implements are mostly related to the production and post-harvest operation of crops which have a direct impact on the improvement of agricultural production as well as livelihood of local farmers. The most predominant cropping system in Myanmar is still in traditional. Subsistence farming of small holder farmers (below 2 h) is most prevalent where farming is carried out in a traditional way using with old and indigenous farm tools and little input. This involves a great deal of hand labor and animal-drawn implements for land preparation, sowing, transplanting, harvesting, and processing. There are strong similarities in some implements, such as ploughs, harrows, axe, hoes, and sickles among different regions. However, the design and types of these implements used in one region are sometimes significantly different from those of other regions. A certain agricultural tool widely used in an area may not always be appropriate in other areas and some tools are not available in all regions. The use of animal-drawn power of today is a crucial stage in realizing the current socio-economic conditions of Myanmar although agricultural mechanization is necessary for the continual increased production in future. l

　東南アジアのジェンダーを語る際、よく聞かれるのは、女性の地位が相対的に高いという説明である。その際、経済活動への参加度、親族組織、相続形態などが、地位の高さを示す事例として持ち出されてきた。一方で、仏教やイスラームなど宗教の如何を問わず、女性は宗教的・象徴的に劣位におかれているとも言われている。