Abstract:
Farming as one of the most rigorous physical labor in the world implicates
occupational health issues that require to be addressed, particularly towards women who work in
this field. The lack of inquiry on the occupational health issues of farming leads to the further
invisibilization of their labor and participation in farming communities in the Philippines. The
theories of Social Relation and Social Role explained why women are often not recognized for
their work mainly due to their gender that neglects the need for deeper understanding of their
labor and participation in rice production in the country. Previous studies have focused mainly on
the quantitative aspects of this study which overlooks the complex experiences of women in rice
production that tackles their health and occupational wellbeing. On top of occupational health
issues, farming women were also faced with issues that added weight to their occupational health
issues. The data used in this study were from previous studies accumulated through document
analysis and narrative and thematic analysis to dive deeper into the firsthand experiences of
farming women in Laguna and how their work affects their health and wellbeing as marginalized
women. It was found through this study that occupational hazards in rice production affect the
health and wellbeing of farming women. Not only this, external factors were found to contribute
to the exacerbation of their health and wellbeing as women in rice production that must be
further explored.
