English (en) | Change Language

Globally, women are very involved in agriculture; according to some estimates, they do more than half the work involved in farming. However, they do not receive a proportional amount of extension and other help; nor do they receive benefits proportional to their labor.  According to FAO’s 2011 State of Food and Agriculture, “If women had the same access to productive resources as men, they could increase yields on their farms by 20 to 30%. This could raise total agricultural output in developing countries by 2.5 to 4%, which could in turn reduce the number of hungry people in the world by [raising] up to 150 million people out of hunger.”

-- Dawn Berkelaar, EDN #134



  1. Key Resource 2017-06-06 A version of this material first appeared in EDN 134. Gender dynamics in relation to agriculture is a big topic, and one we had not previously written about in EDN. In recent years, widespread attention has been paid to the disparity that often exists between men and women when it comes to...
  2. 2015-08-05 The complexity of the global food system creates a diverse group of actors ranging from smallholders to large corporations involved in the agriculture sector. Each of the many actors in an agriculture value chain has different needs, objectives, strengths and weaknesses. With women accounting for...
  3. 2015-05-01 This article draws from the MEAS Brief # 2 Reducing the Gender Gap in Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services: How to Find the Best Fit for Men and Women Farmers. Many of the gender-related topics and lessons discussed in the MEAS Brief also apply to the transfer of knowledge and resources...
  4. KIT Royal Tropical Institute is an independent centre of expertise, education, intercultural cooperation and hospitality dedicated to sustainable development. Based on a national heritage site in Amsterdam, KIT focuses on key areas where it can make a difference:Gender,Global Health,Intercultural...
  5. 2019-11-19 Session :This is a practical (and fun) mini-workshop that helps participants understand not only the common food safety issues in a dairy value chain, but also how gender impacts it. Participants will receive a USB drive with related resources when they participate. Presenter : Dr. Kathy...
  6. Access Agriculture Training Video Food production in women’s fields could easily increase by 30% if we paid attention to gender when dealing with these four areas: demand for training and advice; extension methods and content; access to land, inputs and credit; and access to markets. This video...
  7. 2016-03-03 Session: Sauti Moja Marsabit provides livestock to vulnerable female-headed households (widows and single pastoralist mothers) which contribute to food security. We also provide young mothers who have been chased from school due to pregnancy with an opportunity to pursue an education that will...
  8. 2015-10-06
  9. 2017-02-09 The presentation discusses gender in food security programs. The presentation shall focus issues of access and control and impact on food security. The break out session will conduct an analysis of gender in agriculture program and how to address gender gaps that promote continuous women...
  10. The presentation discusses gender in food security programs. The presentation shall focus issues of access and control and impact on food security. The break out session will conduct an analysis of gender in agriculture program and how to address gender gaps that promote continuous women...
  11. AgReach strengthens extension services for all, and in doing so provides customized, innovative solutions that are both human and scalable.We accomplish this by developingand sharing resources accessibleworldwide. INGENAES resources include : GLOSSARIES Gender (2015) Nutrition (2015) Extension...
  12. INGENAES is designed to assist partners in Feed the Future countries (www.feedthefuture.gov) to · Build more robust, gender-responsive, and nutrition- sensitive institutions, projects and programs capable of assessing and responding to the needs of both men and women farmers through extension and...
  13. INGENAES: Integrating Gender and Nutrition within Agricultural Extension Services INGENAES is designed to assist partners in Feed the Future countries (www.feedthefuture.gov) to build more robust, gender-responsive, and nutrition-sensitive institutions, projects and programs capable of assessing...
  14. 2016-03-01 Approximately 30 of the ECHO Symposium attendees participated in this dialogue. First, we established some basic definitions, and noted that poverty and political marginalization has affected men and women differently. While all pastoralists suffer discrimination, loss of land, degraded natural...
  15. 2015-11-05
  16. Key Resource 1999-01-01 Women are critical to the well-being of farm households. Aside from raising children, women are expected to prepare all meals, maintain the homestead, and assist in crop and animal production, all the while tending to the general health of their families. Perhaps, ironically, it is because women...
  17. Key Resource 2009-04-27 Poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition have become critical urban problems. Meeting this challenge in many cities around the world, women play a crucial role in household food production, growing vegetables in gardens and vacant urban spaces, raising animals, and trading in fresh and cooked...
  18. This is an article on the webpage ofCommunity of Practice for Pro-poor Livestock Development (CoP-PPLD), an on-line sharing network for practitioners, managers, researchers and other actors involved in pro-poor livestock development.The article presents the results of a successful ACIAR program...
  19. 2016-11-01 Traditional natural resources management in Ethiopia has been unsustainable, owing to various reasons including poverty and lack of knowledge, which has resulted in rampant deforestation. Historical estimates suggest that approximately 40% of Ethiopian landmass was once covered with forest and...
  20. 2016-03-14 Waste plastic shopping bags are a plentiful resource that can be found in fields, along roadsides, and in garbage piles around the world. By repurposing this resource, MIT students in Arusha Tanzania are empowering women and improving the environment through a plastic recycling program. The...
  21. While technologies have revolutionized agriculture and created growth in wealthier countries and regions, 90 percent of the produced food in Sub-Saharan Africa is harvested and processed by hand—resulting in low yields and poor quality products with limited market potential. Women farmers are...
  22. The term “experience capitalization” refers to the process by which a specific project or programme (or “an experience” in general) is described and analysed, and from which lessons are identified, shared and used to improve development interventions. This is an iterative process that helps...
  23. After three years of INGENAES activities, we have seenexciting achievements in empowering and engaging women and men smallholder farmers.Themany, diverse successes came out ofbuilding robust gender-responsive and nutrition-sensitive institutions, strengthening existing programs and projects to...
  24. Abstract, Environmental Research, 2021 Access to clean and affordable energy is vital for health, well-being, and socio-economic development. This critical service remains unrealised in many African countries. Women's empowerment is known to promote healthcare service use, child nutrition and...
  25. The lack of access to modern energy sources subjects people to a life of poverty. No electricity means no refrigeration of food, no washing machine, and no light at night. If you don’t have artificial light, your day is over at sunset. This is why the students in this photo are out on the street:...
  26. 2020-10-20 A Discussion Paper for the Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards (LEGS) Karin de Jonge and Lucy Maarse The aim of this Discussion Paper is to outline the major issues at the crossroads of gender and livestock in the context of humanitarian response, for the Advisory Committee of LEGS...
  27. 2002-12-20 The feminisation of agriculture and the implications for maize development in China New tools for Romanian women farmers Indian women farmers Bitter cassava and women Women and livestock Gender mainstreaming Developing camel products Small change crops Economic change and gender role
  28. Maria Vittoria Conti, Ausilia Campanaro, Paola Coccetti, Rachele De Giuseppe, Andrea Galimberti, Massimo Labra, Hellas Cena, Potential role of neglected and underutilized plant species in improving women’s empowerment and nutrition in areas of sub-Saharan Africa,Nutrition Reviews, Volume 77,...