Analysis and Assessment of the Levels of Women’s Involvement and Gender Equality in Agribusiness in the Republic of Armenia

Abstract

Women’s participation in agribusiness is increasingly recognized as an important determinant of inclusive rural development and sustainable economic growth. Nevertheless, official statistical data in the Republic of Armenia provide only limited opportunities for evaluating the structural characteristics of women’s participation, particularly at the regional and agribusiness subsector levels. To address this gap, this study combines evidence from a nationwide sociological survey with the application of the Herfindahl–Hirschman Index (HHI) to assess the concentration of women’s participation across agribusiness subsectors and regions. The empirical analysis is based on original survey data collected from 780 women representing all marzes of the Republic of Armenia during 2022–2023. The findings reveal that women’s entrepreneurial activity is unevenly distributed and remains highly concentrated in a narrow group of traditional agribusiness subsectors, primarily crop and animal husbandry and related activities, while their participation in higher value-added fields remains comparatively limited. A comparison with official statistical indicators further demonstrates that aggregate gender statistics do not adequately capture these structural disparities. By adapting the Herfindahl–Hirschman Index to the analysis of women’s participation in agribusiness, the study offers a methodological framework for assessing concentration patterns that are not observable through conventional participation indicators. The findings provide evidence that may support the development of more targeted gender-sensitive policies, including improvements in gender-disaggregated statistics, vocational training, institutional support for women entrepreneurs, and measures encouraging participation in more diversified agribusiness activities.