Call for increased women leadership to bolster Africa’s agrifood systems
- The work women do collectively feeds humanity, yet they continue to face significant barriers such as limited access to land, which restrict their ability to invest in long-term agricultural practices
By Zablon Oyugi
Women play pivotal roles in food systems as producers, workers, processors, distributors, traders, and consumers. They contribute significantly to the food and nutritional security of communities. Yet they continue to face significant barriers such as limited access to land, which restrict their ability to invest in long-term agricultural practices.
Other setbacks include lack of access to essential resources such as seeds, fertilisers, technology, and financial credit, lack of influence on agricultural and food-related decisions, and restrictive market access.
Their contributions to food systems remain mostly undervalued, unpaid or overlooked as gender inequalities and discriminatory norms continue to hold them back.
Against this backdrop, the CGIAR Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI) Accelerator, African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD), the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), and CIFOR-ICRAF brought together key players, including experts, policymakers, the private sector and scientists, to mark this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD).
Under the theme: “For all women and girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment,” the event focused on the need to empower more women towards sustainable and equitable food systems while highlighting actionable strategies that can close gender gaps and foster inclusive growth.
Empowering women in agrifood systems
Professor Appolinaire Djikeng, the Director General of ILRI, in his opening remarks, noted the crucial role women play in African agrifood systems and called for support across the board: “Let us not just look at the global statistics on women empowerment; we must internalise the data, contextualise it, and see where the gaps are, and how to fix them. Women empowerment is for all of us.”
The event included a deep dive into the forthcoming report on the “Status of women in African agrifood systems in sub-Saharan Africa”, which analyses the roles women play in agriculture across the continent. The report draws on critical data and provides evidence on how gender inequities persist, while also offering strategies to bridge these divides.
Advancing action on gender-equitable agrifood systems
Dr Susan Kaaria, the Director of African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) emphasised the significance of the research. “There are still gender gaps in access and decision-making regarding resources, assets and services in all areas of agrifood systems in sub-Saharan Africa. The upcoming report on women in agrifood systems reveals a huge underrepresentation of women in leadership and research. We need to think of strategies for improving their participation,” she stated.
Dr Nicoline de Haan, the Program Director of the CGIAR GEI Accelerator, expressed the need for inclusive strategies in food systems transformation. “It is time to move beyond problems and focus on solutions. By embracing gender-transformative approaches, we can improve women’s access and create a world where norms, agency and power are openly discussed and equitably shared.”
The event also spotlighted inclusive strategies that are already underway to empower women in agriculture, such as mentorship programmes, leadership development, and access to land and capital.
“It is important to value the contribution of women in science and food security, and female smallholders. The work that we do collectively feeds humanity,” noted Dr Éliane Ubalijoro, the CEO of CIFOR-ICRAF, while highlighting the pivotal role of women across the food systems.