The 6th Basic Plan for Fostering Women Farmers (2026–2030) emphasised the protection of women farmers’ rights and interests, improve their quality of life, and foster them as professionals.
By improving opportunities for female founders, the plan aims to build more resilient and vibrant rural communities.
The plan marks a clear shift in direction, moving away from welfare‑style assistance and isolated programmes toward strengthening women’s status, building long‑term governance structures.
This positions Korea’s women farmers as ‘key economic actors’, said MAFRA.
To achieve this, the government will focus on four areas, according to the plan.
Supporting women’s growth in ag
To support women as key economic players , the government plans to widen flexible work options that accommodate farming and caregiving.
Research, development and distribution of women‑friendly machinery will continue, including wearable assistive devices that reduce physical strain.
MAFRA said the Rural Development Administration has already developed 27 types of “women‑friendly machinery”, with around 14,000 units distributed between 2020 and 2024.
It will target a further 25 new types by 2030.
There will also be opportunities for incubation programmes for agrifood processing and start-ups, alongside new digital and AI training and support in marketing, distribution and eco‑friendly agriculture.
Additional measures will focus on nurturing the next generation, including improved career‑exploration programmes for young women.
Legal enhancements
The first enhances the status of rural women with institutional reforms such as incentives for households that officially register both spouses as co‑managers of the farm.
Additionally, the law will be amended to increase the proportion of female board members in regional agricultural cooperatives.
To promote gender-equality within rural communities, MAFRA said it would review women-friendly rural models, monitor community leader election practices, and disseminate best practices.
Furthermore, it will develop a way to assess the level of gender equality in rural areas.
Policies for women farmers
Leveraging the Rural Women Policy Division, which was established end 2025, MAFRA will strengthen the implementation system for policies related to rural women by establishing dedicated departments and securing personnel in local governments.
It said a performance evaluation system would be introduced to assess implementation of action plans to improving policy effectiveness.
In addition, a policy consultative body dedicated to women farmers will be established to bridge the gap between public and private stakeholders.
According to MAFRA, this group aims to incorporate on-the-ground perspectives into policymaking.
It added that existing online platform for women farmers will be upgraded with better information access, chatbot counselling, bulletin boards and mobile services.
The ministry will also review its laws and programmes for gender bias and strengthen data collection by expanding and improving the national Survey on Women Farmers.
Health and welfare
The plan also expands welfare and health services with the introduction of “gap care” services to provide early‑morning and nighttime childcare during peak farming seasons.
Health screenings for women farmers will be widened to those aged 51 to 80, with the number of beneficiaries rising from 50,000 to 80,000.
MAFRA also plans to improve workplace safety by strengthening measures against heat-related illnesses and expanding sanitation and convenience facilities, including restrooms, at farming sites.
