Aixada de ganxo (two-prong hoe)

Sexual division of labour

Gender and social class

Gender stereotypes: male hunter / female gatherer

In rural environments, work was usually organized in family units of production, in which every member of the family did their bit. However, the only ones registered as workers were generally the man of the house and the male sons, with the female sex being excluded from the official records. The ganxo we highlight in the rereading was used by men to remove tubers such as potatoes and sweet potatoes from the ground, after which groups of women would collect the produce. Despite the fact that we still consider agricultural labour to be eminently male, the ganxo, photographs and other objects distributed around the gallery paint a picture of farmwork as an activity done by both men and women.