Tracking trends and gaps: A bibliometric review of ICT’s role on uplifting women farmers

Introduction

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has revolutionized global agriculture, empowering women farmers who have traditionally faced systemic barriers such as limited access to land, credit, and extension services (World Bank, 2014) [22] . In developing countries, including India, ICT has emerged as a key enabler in bridging gender disparities in agriculture. Initially, tools like community radio and television disseminated basic agricultural knowledge to rural women farmers (Aker, 2011) [2] . However, with the rapid penetration of mobile phones, women farmers gained real-time access to weather forecasts, market prices, and modern farming techniques (GSMA, 2021) [7] . In India, where women constitute nearly 75% of the agricultural workforce yet own only 13% of farmland (FAO, 2019) [4] , ICT has been transformative. Government initiatives like Kisan Call Centres (KCC) and eNAM (National Agricultural Market) have provided women with crucial agri-advisories and market linkages (Meinzen-Dick et al., 2019) [13] . Mobile apps such as Kisan Suvidha and WhatsApp-based advisory groups have further democratized access to information, helping women farmers optimize crop yields and reduce post-harvest losses (Qaim, 2020) [18] . Studies indicate that ICT adoption has improved women farmers agricultural productivity by 20-30% while enhancing their financial inclusion through digital payment systems like direct benefit transfer (DBT) (Trendov et al., 2019) [21] . While digital interventions have emerged as pivotal tools for empowering women farmers and transforming rural agriculture, existing research remains fragmented, with most studies focusing on isolated aspects such as mobile advisories or financial inclusion (Zupic & Čater, 2015) [24] . A comprehensive assessment of how ICT collectively enhances women's agricultural productivity, decisionmaking autonomy, and market access, particularly in the Indian context is notably absent. This gap obscures the synergistic potential of technologies like AI, IoT, and digital platforms in addressing systemic gender disparities in agriculture (Meinzen-Dick et al., 2019) [13] . To bridge this gap, the present study employs bibliometric analysis to map the research landscape, identify thematic clusters, and trace the evolution of ICT's role in women's agricultural empowerment (Donthu et al., 2021) [3] . By systematically analysing scholarly outputs, this study aims to uncover trends, key contributors, and underexplored areas-such as the scalability of grassroots digital initiatives or the www.extensionjournal.com intersection of gender, policy, and technology. The findings will provide actionable insights for policymakers to design inclusive digital agriculture strategies and guide future research toward high-impact interventions.

Methodology

A systematic review was conducted by the authors as outlined by Kraus et al. (2021) [8] to accomplish the purpose of finding the impact of ICT on upliftment of women farmers. Three broad steps used in this process were (1) preparing the review, (2) carrying out the review, and (3) reporting the review. Section 4 (results) presents the final step. The authors followed Kumar, Kar, and Ilavarasan (2021) and Kushwaha, Kar, and Dwivedi (2021) to structure the analysis.

Method of analysis

Different methods and procedures were used to carry out the study. We used scientific mapping tools for bibliometric analysis. We selected VOSviewer and Biblioshiny as our analysis tools. The reason for this was that VOSviewer has better visualization in network and cluster analysis, and Biblioshiny is better in literature timeline analysis. A combination of these two tools can better achieve our research goals.

Preparing the Review

The study's selection criteria were included into a literature review process. The online Web of Science (WoS) database was used to gather and synthesize pertinent publications (data) for this investigation. The WoS is a web-based platform that was developed in 1960s and is owned by the Clarivate analytics firm (Kraus et al., 2021) [8] . WoS, which comprises the three ISI citation databases (Arts & Humanities Citation Index, Science Citation Index, and Social Sciences Citation Index), has been the standard tool for a significant portion of citation studies worldwide (Meho & Yang, 2007) [12] . The WoS consists of more than 12,000 live journals, 23 million patents, 148,000 congressional proceedings, and more than 40 million, and 760 million, sources of cited references (Sanchez, Rama, de la, & García, 2017). It offers a thorough overview of global scientific output (Mongeon & Paul-Hus, 2016) [14] .

Carrying out the Review

We started by retrieving articles that had the term "digital intervention" along with related keywords. The query command for was TS (Topic Tag for Search (Yang et al., 2023) [23] ) = "Women in Agriculture" OR "Impact of ICT" OR "Women Empowerment" AND "Awareness" AND "Perception". A total of 4726 publications were retrieved. After the second step only 4354 articles were left as the publications were refined by fixing the time period from 2000 up to 2025. In the 3 rd step only 2073 articles were left after refining them to open access research articles only. In the fourth step, for making the focus of the articles purely into the desired subject area they were further refined to 268 articles by selecting the WoS categories with agriculture multidisciplinary, agronomy, horticulture and communication. In the last and final step, the articles were again refined to only English language, helped in finalising 257 articles for this study purpose. The data retrieval took place on May 19, 2025.

Method of Analysis

Different methods and procedures were used to carry out the study. We used scientific mapping tools for bibliometric analysis. We selected VOSviewer and Biblioshiny as our analysis tools as VOSviewer has better visualization in network and cluster analysis, and Biblioshiny is better in literature timeline analysis. A combination of these two tools can better achieve our research goals. 13), Cornell University (12), and Jumuiya (11) also feature among the key contributors. Collectively, this distribution demonstrates a blend of global research centres, regional universities, and international organizations driving the knowledge frontier on ICTenabled agricultural empowerment for women, particularly in resource-constrained settings. The emergence of these clusters underlines the interdisciplinary and international nature of research efforts aimed at leveraging ICT for gender empowerment and livelihood improvement in agriculture. The figure 6 presents the co-citation network of scholarly journals that frequently appear together in the reference lists of the publications analysed. This map was generated using VOSviewer and reflects the intellectual structure of the research field, particularly on topics intersecting agriculture, food systems, sustainability, and ICT interventions. Nodes represent journals, while the links between them indicate the frequency with which two journals were cited together. The size of each node corresponds to the number of co-citations, and the color clusters denote closely linked groups of journals with similar citation patterns. The citation analysis of the top 10 most influential articles highlights foundational contributions in the domain of ICTmediated agricultural transformation and women's empowerment. The most cited article is Malapit and www.extensionjournal.com

Results

Overall trends in publications and citations

Quisumbing (2015) [11] , published in Food Policy, with 246 citations, underscoring its pivotal role in shaping genderresponsive agricultural frameworks. This is followed by Akter et al. (2017) and Palacios-Lopez (2017) [16] , also in Food Policy, with 215 and 173 citations respectively, demonstrating the journal's critical position in disseminating evidence on digital inclusion and labor dynamics. Quisumbing et al. (2015) [19] , published in Agriculture and Human Values and cited 160 times, further reinforces the intersectional lens on values, ethics, and gender in agricultural settings. Notably, López-Pérez et al. (2022) [10] , appearing in IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorials with 129 citations, signals the growing relevance of interdisciplinary perspectives from the communications and ICT sectors. Other highly cited works include those by Kristjanson et al. (2017) [9] , Pan et al. (2018) [17] , Galiè et al.

(2019) [5] , Adhikari et al. (2021) [1] , and Snapp et al. (2018) [20] -with citations ranging from 91 to 123-published across respected journals such as International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability, American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Social Indicators Research, and Agricultural Systems. Collectively, these studies have laid a robust empirical and theoretical foundation for advancing inclusive digital innovation in agriculture, emphasizing gender equity, decision-making, productivity, and livelihood resilience. [11] Food Policy 246 Akter et al. (2017) Food Policy 215 Palacios-Lopez (2017) [16] Food Policy 173 Quisumbing et al. (2015) [19] Agriculture and Human Values 160 López-Pérez et al. (2022) [10] IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorials 129 Kristjanson et al. (2017) [9] International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability 123 Pan et al. (2018) [17] American Journal of Agricultural Economics 116 Galiè et al. (2019) [5] Social Indicators Research 114 Adhikari et al. (2021) [1] Agricultural Systems 107 Snapp et al. (2018) [20] Agricultural Systems 91

Thematic evolution

Thematic evolution from 2001 to 2025 in the scholarly discourse on agriculture, gender, and technology shows a marked progression from foundational issues towards more intersectional, inclusive, and socially grounded themes. Between 2001 and 2022, dominant keywords such as climate-smart agriculture, technology adoption, climate change, food security, sustainability, and sustainable agriculture reflected a strong emphasis on agricultural innovation, environmental resilience, and productivity, often analysed within specific regional contexts like Kenya, Bangladesh, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Central to this period was the focus on gender, women, and the role of ICT and technology in facilitating agricultural development. Furthermore, the rise of ICT as a bridge between earlier concerns on technology and current emphases on inclusion and access suggests a convergence of digital transformation with social justice goals. This evolution also highlights a shift from systems-level adaptation to community-and individual-level agency, with researchers increasingly exploring how technologies and policies translate into realworld impacts. In sum, the field has matured from exploring macro-level innovations to embracing localized, equityfocused, and multidisciplinary approaches, reflecting the dynamic and evolving nature of agricultural and gender research in the digital and climate era.

Discussion

The bibliometric landscape mapped in this study provides critical insight into the evolution, scope, and scholarly attention toward ICT-driven empowerment of women in agriculture. The results demonstrate that the research field, while emergent, has gained significant traction over the past decade, especially post-2015. The upward trajectory in publications and citations signals growing scholarly and policy interest in how digital tools can transform agrarian livelihoods and reduce gender disparities (Donthu et al., 2021; World Bank, 2014) [3,22] . Notably, the surge in articles post-2020, peaking in 2024, reflects the accelerated digitalization of rural sectors, driven by increasing mobile penetration and the expansion of government and NGO-led digital inclusion programs (GSMA, 2021; NITI Aayog, 2022) [7,15] . In terms of geographic distribution, the dominance of countries like the USA, India, and Kenya underscores a concentration of research in high-capacity and high-impact regions. While the Global North contributes significantly to theoretical and policy framing, emerging economies in Asia and Africa are increasingly producing empirical evidence grounded in localized interventions (Trendov et al., 2019) [21] . However, the limited representation from Latin America and other parts of the Global South points to a gap in geographically diverse scholarship. Addressing this imbalance is crucial for enhancing the global relevance and applicability of ICT-driven agricultural strategies (Aker, 2011) [2] . Institutionally, CGIAR, IFPRI, and Wageningen University appear as central actors in knowledge production and dissemination. These organizations not only dominate in publication volume but also serve as critical nodes in global research networks, as evidenced by their high co-authorship and co-citation linkages. The institutional collaboration networks suggest an encouraging trend of interdisciplinary and cross-regional partnerships, particularly those blending agronomy, gender studies, and digital development (Meinzen-Dick et al., 2019) [13] . Yet, the clustering also reveals siloed regional engagements, signalling the need for broader South-South collaborations and more inclusive research consortia. [11,19] highlight the importance of sustained, long-term inquiry into women's roles, rights, and resources within agriculture. Their work, among others, has laid the foundation for measuring empowerment, understanding household dynamics, and evaluating gendered outcomes of digital interventions.

The most cited articles indicate a robust concern with measuring empowerment (e.g., Malapit & Quisumbing, 2015) [11] , evaluating ICT adoption (Akter et al., 2017), and framing gendered labor roles (Palacios-Lopez, 2017) [16] .

The emergence of newer works also signals a growing confluence between agriculture and broader technological discourses, including artificial intelligence, digital connectivity, and data-driven development. Finally, the thematic evolution over time, from initial focus areas like climate-smart agriculture and food security to more recent emphases on empowerment, aspirations, and migration demonstrates the field's maturation. ICT is no longer seen merely as a technical solution but as a facilitator of socioeconomic transformation and agency (Qaim, 2020) [18] . This shift reflects the integration of feminist development perspectives and the capability approach into agrarian digital discourse, acknowledging women farmers not only as recipients of technology but as active agents of change.

Implications and future research

The findings of this bibliometric study have several implications for research and policy. First, future research must address regional gaps, particularly by including underrepresented regions such as Latin America and the Pacific. Second, deeper exploration is needed into the intersectionality of gender, caste, age, and geographic remoteness in shaping access to and impacts of ICT. Third, future bibliometric work can benefit from integrating Scopus and Google Scholar databases for broader coverage. Furthermore, longitudinal and mixed-method studies are required to trace the actual behavioural, economic, and social transformations driven by ICT among rural women. On the policy front, the results suggest that scalable and inclusive digital agricultural strategies must be informed by a nuanced understanding of women's realities and structural constraints. Public-private partnerships, digital literacy campaigns, and gender-responsive agri-tech design are essential to unlocking the full potential of ICT in rural transformation.

Conclusion

This study underscores the pivotal role of ICT in transforming women's participation in agriculture by enhancing access to information, markets, and financial services. While research has demonstrated significant gains in productivity and empowerment, gaps persist in regional representation and intersectional analysis, particularly in underrepresented areas like Latin America. The findings call

Acknowledgement

www.extensionjournal.com for gender-responsive policies, scalable digital literacy programs, and inclusive agri-tech innovations to address structural barriers. Future research should adopt interdisciplinary approaches, expand geographic coverage, and leverage emerging technologies like AI and IoT. By fostering collaborative efforts among policymakers, researchers, and practitioners, ICT can drive sustainable and equitable agricultural development, ensuring women farmers fully benefit from the digital revolution.

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