ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Sustain. Food Syst.
Sec. Land, Livelihoods and Food Security
Volume 9 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2025.1628099
Agents of Change: The Role of Health and Nutrition Female Field Technicians in Transforming Rural Extension in the Western Highlands of Guatemala
Provisionally accepted
- Agricultural Education and Communication, University of Florida, Gainesville, United States
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Introduction: This study explores the leadership roles and knowledge transfer strategies of female health and nutrition field technicians in Guatemala's Western Highlands, a region marked by high rates of poverty and chronic malnutrition. Grounded in transformational leadership theory, the study investigates how these women act as agents of change in rural extension services and aims to understand their leadership styles, motivations, and the impact of their personal experiences on their work. Female technicians were selected due to their unique position at the intersection of technical expertise and community engagement, particularly in female-led households where gender-sensitive approaches are critical. Methods: A qualitative instrumental case study design was employed for this research, utilizing semi-structured interviews, role-playing, participant observation, and visual methods. Data were collected in the Los Cuchumatanes region of Guatemala from twelve female health and nutrition extension workers, purposefully selected based on their experience and roles within rural communities. A constructivist paradigm guided the interpretation of the participants' motivations, leadership, and experiences. Data analysis followed a systematic qualitative approach, including open and pattern coding. Results: Extension workers identified three key leadership approaches: Transformational Growth, Servant Leadership, and Relationship-Oriented. Technicians also highlighted their roles as change agents and mentors, facilitating behavior change and offering indirect support in underserved areas. Effective knowledge transfer methods included home visits, experiential learning, visual aids, and community involvement. Extension workers expressed cautious optimism for the future, emphasizing the need for continued development, professional recognition, and inclusion. Discussion: This study underscores the importance of values-based leadership, gender-sensitive approaches, and participatory methods in promoting sustainable community development and enhancing the impact of extension services. It also highlights the emotional labor and resilience of female technicians, whose leadership is grounded in lived experience and relational engagement.
Keywords: Female Field Technicians1, Leadership Perspective2, Motivations3, Roles4, Guatemala5, Resilience6
Received: 13 May 2025; Accepted: 25 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Lamino, Ceme Vinces and Molina Gonzalez. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Pablo Lamino, Agricultural Education and Communication, University of Florida, Gainesville, United States
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