Harnessing the Power of Women in Agriculture: Transforming African Communities

In the vast expanse of Africa's agricultural landscape, there exists a formidable force driving change: women. Despite facing numerous challenges, women in agriculture across the continent possess a great potential to transform their communities and contribute to sustainable development.

Women constitute a significant portion of the agricultural workforce in Africa, accounting for approximately 60-80% of smallholder farmers according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). In Kenya, women play pivotal roles in crop production, livestock management, and post-harvest activities, serving as the backbone of rural economies.

However, women in African agriculture encounter multifaceted barriers that hinder their full participation and potential. These barriers include limited access to land tenure, financial services, agricultural inputs, and extension services. Moreover, entrenched gender norms and cultural practices often restrict women's decision-making power and access to markets.

It is for this reason that the Association of women in Agriculture exists, AWAK’s vision is to create a Nation where all women and their households are empowered, equal and equipped to reach their full potential. AWAK was conceived on the precept of scaling up agribusiness from conventional subsistence farming to advanced climate smart agriculture, urban food security, value addition and advocacy in the quest of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) both at household and national levels.

So, it was such a joy and honor to join fellow board members in the annual planning session for the Association for women in Agriculture Kenya, which included visits to some of the projects currently ongoing. ?Led by our chairlady Dr. Judy Matu we invested three days planning and reviewing performance, with one goal. To scale impact, and impact is truly being realised.

Take the example of Zaituni, a project beneficiary who has multiplied impact 1000-fold. From a single training on value add (baking) and briquette making; the has successfully trained 1000 women in Mombasa on the same craft and mobilised funds to acquire 2 machines each 100k to better the production process, producing 2 tonnes per hour. Her community is on the right track to financial independence.

On the other end is mama Esther, who despite her limited abilities is working hard to produce vegetables from a backyard garden and making a fare return for her effort. Her spouse supporting her effort in some very tough conditions.

With technology, the women are finding new ways of delivering their produce to markets beyond their local communities, fetching better returns and scaling their production capacities. All the while bringing everyone in the family with them.

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And so we must continue empowering women in agriculture; we must work to ensure an enabling policy environment, provide access to key resources and interventions needed to step change women’s outcomes such as access to land, credit, inputs, training and extension services, and technology transfer initiatives tailored to women's needs.

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By doing so,? we will transform women in agriculture from cultivators of the land to ?agents of change, capable of transforming African communities for the better.

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