Volta who go to Ivory Coast. ~/ 154 E/ECA/CM.9/5 24. In plantation areas the sex division of labour is more marked. Nen work on commercial crops (cocoa, coffee, cola nuts, palm oil, etc •. ) and women in subsistence farming (plantains, rice, cassava, maize, vegetables, etc.). Women also collect fruits, vegetables and tubers. Each year, husbands distribute their land among their different wives who cultivate them with the help of their children. The husband fells trees and burns the grass to clear the ground for cultivation. \~omen carry out all preparation work on the ground. The main fields are used for the cultivation of food crop for the family. Women sometimes, have sup~lementary plots where they cultivate tubers and vegetables. Women therefore produce all the food for the family but in addition they also participate actively in work in the plantations: they pick coffee grains for example and transport them to the village. The introduction of cash crops has there­ fore imposed new tasks on women in addition to their traditional ones. '}_/ 25. In almost all agricultural systems, women are usually responsible for tending small animals. They feed and milk the animals, process milk· and sell the product in markets or barter them for other food stuffs required by the family. All agricul­ tural activities done by women are carried out under very dif­ ficult conditions since almost all of them are done by hand or with primitive implements. Besides, fields allocated to women are often scattered and situated far from villages which makes it necessary for women to cover long distances carrying heavy loads at harvest time. They are seldom favoured with any specialized training or credit facilities and generally cannot obtain modern means of production. 26. The economic role of women is not limited only to agricul­
**Analysis**
The text discusses the role of women in agriculture, their tasks, and the challenges they face in Ivory Coast. It highlights their involvement in various aspects of agriculture, from planting to harvesting, and their responsibility for producing food for their families. The text also touches on the impact of cash crops on women's workload and the difficulties they face due to lack of specialized training, credit facilities, and modern means of production.

**Category**
Agriculture, forestry and fishing, Employment