Fresh push to give women a voice in Africa's agriculture

Monica Makokha shows cassava from her farm in Buchifi area of Etenje Ward, in Mumias West Sub County and Kakamega County. [Nanjinia Wamuswa, Standard] Across Africa, women are the backbone of agriculture, responsible for producing over 60 per cent of the continent's food. Yet, they continue to face systematic barriers, including limited access to land, restrictive financial policies, limited access to markets, and cultural stereotypes that discourage their participation in agricultural and food-related decision-making. Additionally, the burden of unpaid care and domestic work disproportionately affects women's ability to engage fully in economic activities. Kenya's National Time-Use Survey (2021) reveals that women spend nearly five times more hours than men on unpaid domestic work, further reinforcing gender inequalities. Programme Manager, Grassroots Organisations Operating Together in Sisterhood (GROOTS) Kenya, Stephanie Kanyingi, explains that she works directly with a movement of over 5,000 women's groups in over 23 counties, who could greatly contribute to agriculture if these challenges were addressed. "Unfortunately, these challenges, particularly lack of land ownership, which is central to farming, prevent women from fully participating in agricultural activities and reaching their full potential," she explains. Ms Kanyingi spoke during the recent launch of the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAAPD) Gender Analysis Policy Brief in Nairobi. CAADP is a three-month results framework that lays out the objectives to be pursued in the transformation of the agriculture sector and serves as a strategic guidance and measurement tool for harmonising growth in agricultural value chains across Africa. The new 10-year strategy (2026-2035), launched in January in Kampala by African Union member states, will ensure that African development initiatives adequately recognise and support women's rights and contributions in the agricultural sector. The CAADP framework highlights several significant barriers to progress for women in agriculture, including a lack of gender-disaggregated data, limited engagement by women in formulating policies, women's poor access to financial resources, and deeply entrenched cultural constraints. Director, Gender Balance and Equality, State Department for Gender and Affirmative Action Jackline Makokha explains that since women play a critical role in agriculture, the government is committed to ensuring gender-responsive policies that promote financial inclusion and economic opportunities for women. She said the government has introduced initiatives such as the Women Enterprise Fund (WEF), the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF), and the Uwezo Fund, which provide accessible financing for women-led enterprises in agriculture and other green economy ventures. The government has also enforced policies that ensure equitable access to economic opportunities through initiatives like Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO). "This programme reserves contracts for women entrepreneurs, particularly in green projects such as sustainable farming and renewable energy, enhancing their economic participation and financial independence," she explained. Ms Makokha noted that Kenya has adopted several policy frameworks to promote inclusivity and gender equality in agriculture, underscoring its commitment to leaving no one behind in agricultural development. Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Strategy (2017-2026) integrates gender considerations to ensure equitable access to climate-smart agricultural technologies and resources. The Agricultural Sector Transformation and Growth Strategy (ASTGS) 2019-2029 emphasises inclusivity by recognising the role of women, youth, and marginalised groups in agricultural productivity and value chains. The National Agricultural Investment Plan (NAIP) seeks to address gender disparities in access to agricultural finance, extension services, and market opportunities, among others. She explained: "Recognising that financial inclusion is critical to gender-responsive agriculture development, the government is working with both state and non-state actors to create platforms that enhance women's access to capital, markets, and technical expertise." Ms Makokha shared that one of them is gender mainstreaming in green finance, ensuring that women-led agricultural enterprises receive equitable funding to support climate adaptation and sustainable food production. Senior Gender Advisor at Oxfam Wanjiku Wanjohi said together with development partners, they've created a brief that outlines exactly what the African Union should expect from that results framework to ensure it is gender-responsive. She said what they had presented before the African Union is a set of recommendations that have voices of different constituents, including women's rights organisations, grassroots movements, and international development partners. This includes the misalignment between the continent's gender goals at the Pan-African level and what is reflected in the CAADP framework. At the continental level, there are several documents guiding gender policies, including the Maputo Protocol, the Solemn Declaration, the African Union Gender and Women's Strategy, and the Generation Equality Action Agenda, which all AU member states have signed on to.

Fresh push to give women a voice in Africa's agriculture

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