Women as Change Agents

Over the course of three days, farmers, policymakers, researchers, civil society organizations and development practitioners came together to exchange ideas, share best practices, and forge pathways toward more equitable and sustainable agriculture and food systems. Following the conference three keynote speakers reflect on key themes and issues discussed during the conference. Their voices echo a powerful truth: transformation cannot happen without confronting the structural barriers that underpin gender inequality.

What key aspects should be considered to make agriculture and food systems work for women?

Caroline Kayanja: Women face major challenges in accessing, owning, and controlling land due to limited financial means and restrictive gender norms. Even in instances where women can access land for farming, the cultural and societal norms and barriers limit their decision-making power in terms of how to use the land or the proceeds from the land. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), empowering women could increase the productivity of farms by nearly one quarter, increase the global GDP by 1% and ensure food security for up to 45 million people. A potential we cannot leave untapped.

“Empowering women could increase the productivity of farms by nearly one quarter, increase the global GDP by 1% and ensure food security for up to 45 million people. A potential we cannot leave untapped”

Theresa Herbold: We must recognize that climate change, biodiversity loss, food insecurity and economic crises hit women and girls the hardest, underscoring the need to strengthen women’s resilience. In this context equal access to resources, especially access to land and finance, is important. While nearly half of the agricultural workforce are women, they make up less than 15% of agricultural landholders. We also need to ask who holds decision-making power. Without women’s representation in governance and international fora, their voices and needs are often overlooked.

What role do women-led farmer organizations play in the transformation process of our agriculture and food systems?

Dr. Eileen Nchanji: Women-led farmer organizations have long been promoted as a way to strengthen agency and access to resources, but their success really depends on the local context. For example, in a conservative Muslim community in northern Ghana, women’s groups could only function effectively if a man was part of the group. His role wasn’t to dominate, but to mediate in case of disagreements and to liaise with external actors for project support. Without his involvement, the community would have rejected the group’s legitimacy. So, we focused on training the man to support the collective’s goals. In contrast, in parts of Kenya, women are renting land, building houses, and participating directly in decision-making processes. These differences show that supporting collectives requires a deep understanding of local norms and power dynamics – what works in one context may not work in another. As strongly emphasized during the conference in Nairobi, engaging men is essential, but it must be context specific. Equally important is creating an enabling environment through supportive policies and institutions.

“Engaging men is essential, but it must be context specific. Equally important is creating an enabling environment through supportive policies and institutions”

Caroline Kayanja: Women-based farmer groups, particularly in rural areas offer vital social capital. But what’s often missing is real investment in building their skills – especially negotiation and advocacy skills – so they can truly function as empowered collectives. Many of these women may not have formal education, but they deeply understand their community's issues. The question is: how do we support them in engaging meaningfully beyond the local level or even to be a powerful voice for women in their own communities?

Another big challenge are structural and cultural barriers. I have seen cases where women have become targets of gender-based violence simply because they joined a collective. As Eileen has emphasized, their participation in collectives leads to a shift in household dynamics – men sometimes withdraw their support, assuming the woman can now manage alone. So, we need to think not only about empowering women, but also about how we engage men in this process. Both women and men need to understand and embrace the collective benefits, so the change is sustainable and doesn't come at a personal cost.

Can you name some of the measures your organizations have implemented to address gender inequalities in agriculture and food systems?  

Dr. Eileen Nchanji: Common beans have long been grown, cultivated and managed by women - from selecting the seeds to cultivating the fields, most of the work is done by women. Even though women farmers mainly work with beans, they also grow other crops and therefore need technical solutions that are versatile, affordable and gender equitable. For this reason, to reduce the physical burden of production and empower women, we, the Pan-African Bean Research Alliance (PABRA), together with a young organization, have developed affordable multi-crop threshers to reduce the physical burden linked with multi-crop farming. In Tanzania, for example, over 10,000 female farmers have purchased these machines and have been trained in their use, which led to a reduction of crop losses and physical drudgery.  

In addition, at PABRA we have tested direct payments by mobile phone to give women financial autonomy, but in rural areas, distant payment kiosks and shared personal identification numbers limit effectiveness. At the same time, we are also considering how women in the informal sector and in cross-border trade can be effectively supported.

Theresa Herbold: The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) aims to strengthen women’s rights, their access to resources, and representation in decision-making processes, the so-called “3 Rs”. BMZ’s engagement in agriculture and food systems is grounded in the work of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), which is an inclusive and multi-stakeholder platform developing strategies for global food security and nutrition. In 2023, the CFS adopted Voluntary Guidelines on Gender Equality and Women’s and Girls’ Empowerment in the context of food security and nutrition. These guidelines are a milestone in advancing gender-responsive policies and provide clear guidance on how to tackle both the symptoms and root causes of gender inequality in the sector.

The BMZ funds many impactful programs, such as the GIZ Global Program on Food and Nutrition Security, Enhanced Resilience, which works in 12 partner countries in Africa and Asia. The program aims to improve food and nutrition security, in particular of those at greatest risk of malnutrition, being women and children. If children do not receive enough micronutrients like iron, zinc or vitamin A while still in the womb or during their first two years (a period referred to as the first 1,000 days), this impacts their health and development with long-lasting and irreversible consequences. The program works across different areas like agriculture, health services, education and social protection to increase the availability of diverse and healthy food all year round. It initiated women’s savings groups to improve access to financial resources or trained women farmers in a diversified and nutrition-rich agriculture. In line with the experiences of Caroline and Eileen, the program also entailed interventions tailored for men to address sustainably gender roles and stereotypes. In Malawi and India for example, Father Groups provide a safe space also for the men to discuss about how the work burden was shared within the household and to reflect among themselves about their roles and how they can reshape social norms.

One final thought: What is your vision for transformed agriculture and food systems?

Dr. Eileen Nchanji: Equal opportunities and multi sectoral partnerships, because it's not just partnerships.

Caroline Kayanja: A resilient and inclusive agri-food system that fosters the holistic wellbeing of farmers and stakeholders through addressing both systemic and structural barriers, facilitate, sustainable food production and consumption of safe and   nutritious foods.

Theresa Herbold: Transformed agriculture and food systems are those where gender justice and fairness are embedded at all levels, ensuring that women, as well as all groups, have equal access to resources, rights, and representation. Only by achieving this can we create food systems that effectively contribute to climate goals, food and nutrition security, and sustainable development.

“Transformed agriculture and food systems are those where gender justice and fairness are embedded at all levels, ensuring that women, as well as all groups, have equal access to resources, rights, and representation.”

By Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)