Let's extend social protection to rural populations across Africa

A woman tills her rural farm in Angola. [Getty Images]

In Africa, rural poverty and hunger are grim companions and often overlap with agricultural employment. Africa is also highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, and a significant proportion of the rural population engaged in agriculture is especially exposed to these climate impacts.

The numbers tell a stark story: 389 million people live in poverty in Africa, while 282 million people face a food security crisis. More than a billion Africans can't afford a healthy diet. Despite women making up 60 per cent of the rural sector, they face worse food insecurity than men, and women farmers often struggle to access means of production and economic inclusion services such as credit.