Transforming gender relations in agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa: Promising approaches

The document argues that agricultural productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa is hindered by gender gaps, as women provide the bulk of agricultural labour but lack decision-making power and access to resources. It introduces a conceptual framework for empowerment based on agency, structure, and relations, and discusses the necessity of addressing land ownership and value chain participation to improve food security and nutrition. The brief highlights that closing the gender gap in agricultural inputs could lift 100–150 million people out of hunger.

• Gender disparities in agricultural resources are significant in Sub-Saharan Africa; for example, in Kenya, tools owned by female farmers were valued at only 18% of those owned by men, and women make up less than 10% of farmers in smallholder contract-farming schemes for fresh fruit and vegetable exports.
• Closing the gender gap regarding agricultural inputs is estimated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to potentially lift 100–150 million people out of hunger.
• Lack of land ownership for women is linked to higher child malnutrition; countries where women cannot own land have an average of 60% more malnourished children. In Ghana, a 1% increase in property owned by rural women led to a 2.8% increase in monthly food expenditure.
• The document proposes a conceptual framework for empowerment consisting of three dimensions: agency (the ability to define and act on goals), structure (political, cultural, economic, and social norms), and relations (social capital and community relationships).
• Women face systemic barriers across agricultural value chains, including the need for spousal permission to grow crops or sell products, cultural restrictions on travel, and lower literacy and numeracy skills which disadvantage them during bargaining.

APA

Davis, M. S., Farnworth, C., & Sundell, M. F. (2012). Transforming gender relations in agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa: Promising approaches. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-DiscussionBrief-SIANI-TransformingGenderRelationsInAgricultureInSubSaharanAfricaPromisingApproaches-2012.pdf

Chicago

Davis, Marion S., Cathy Farnworth, and Melinda Fones Sundell. Transforming gender relations in agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa: Promising approaches. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2012. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-DiscussionBrief-SIANI-TransformingGenderRelationsInAgricultureInSubSaharanAfricaPromisingApproaches-2012.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Davis |first1=Marion S. |last2=Farnworth |first2=Cathy |last3=Sundell |first3=Melinda Fones |title=Transforming gender relations in agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa: Promising approaches |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=22 August 2012 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-DiscussionBrief-SIANI-TransformingGenderRelationsInAgricultureInSubSaharanAfricaPromisingApproaches-2012.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{davis2012transforming, author = {Davis, Marion S. and Farnworth, Cathy and Sundell, Melinda Fones}, title = {{Transforming gender relations in agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa: Promising approaches}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2012}, month = aug, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-DiscussionBrief-SIANI-TransformingGenderRelationsInAgricultureInSubSaharanAfricaPromisingApproaches-2012.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }