African governments must establish robust mechanisms to measure the impact of agricultural policies on women to fully capitalize on the continent’s investment in agriculture. Despite women’s significant contributions to food production, they continue to face structural barriers, including limited land ownership rights, restricted access to credit, and exclusion from key decision-making processes.
To address these challenges, organizations have launched a framework proposing gender-sensitive, measurable indicators and policy interventions. This initiative aims to ensure women’s participation in decision-making, access to productive resources, and recognition of cultural and intersectional challenges affecting women in agriculture.
Progress in addressing gender disparities in Africa’s agri-food system has been slow, despite policies acknowledging these inequalities. The newly proposed roadmap provides an actionable plan to place smallholder women farmers and other marginalized groups at the center of Africa’s agricultural transformation. The framework is designed to guide the results roadmap for the African Union’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) 2026-2035, adopted by AU Member States.
It advocates for integrating gender-focused indicators that allow policymakers to assess the impact of their policies on women’s education, technology access, cultural barriers, decision-making roles, and agricultural participation. Additionally, it emphasizes aligning CAADP with Africa’s broader gender equality vision by linking it to key frameworks such as the Maputo Protocol, the Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa, and the AU Strategy on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment.
Sustainable agricultural growth is not just about increasing yields it involves empowering communities, building resilience, and ensuring inclusivity. The CAADP framework offers a transformative approach that connects vision with action, guiding Africa toward food security and prosperity.
Africa is currently facing a growing food security crisis due to low agricultural investment, climate shocks such as droughts and floods, conflicts, and unfavorable land policies that disproportionately disadvantage women smallholder farmers. In 2024 alone, 163 million people across Africa experienced acute food insecurity.
Empowering women farmers could significantly enhance agricultural productivity. Estimates suggest that if women in the Global South had equal access to productive resources as men, they could increase their agricultural yields by 20-30%, potentially boosting overall agricultural output in the region by 2.5-4%.
However, persistent barriers such as flawed financing models and restrictive land policies continue to limit their potential. As Africa advances its agricultural development through the new AU strategy, governments must fully harness the potential of all citizens. Ensuring the inclusion of women in the agricultural value chain is not just about gender equality it is a strategic move that strengthens the continent’s chances of achieving food security.
Moving forward, civil society groups are urging governments to translate commitments into concrete action. Policies must not only acknowledge gender disparities but also actively address them. By investing in gender-responsive agricultural policies, Africa can unlock the full potential of women farmers, paving the way for a food-secure and economically empowered continent.
