Transforming Gender Relations in Agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa

The report examines how gender inequalities in sub-Saharan Africa hinder agricultural productivity and proposes an 'empowerment pathway' focusing on agency, structure, and relations. It provides evidence that closing the gender gap in resource access could increase farm yields by 20-30%. Through case studies in countries like Kenya, Zambia, Ethiopia, and Uganda, the document illustrates successful strategies including gender-responsive budgeting, household-level gender analysis, and the engagement of traditional leaders to secure women's land rights and improve value chain participation. It also addresses the specific intersection of gender and 'climate-smart' agriculture, emphasizing that women's vulnerability to climate change is exacerbated by existing structural inequalities.

• There is a causal relationship between more equal gender relations in households and communities and better agricultural outcomes, meaning standard interventions like extension services or fertilizer will not be fully effective unless women and men are on equal footing.
• Gender inequalities significantly reduce agricultural productivity; the FAO estimates that if women had the same access to productive resources as men, farm yields could increase by 20-30%, potentially lifting 100-150 million people out of hunger.
• Women in sub-Saharan Africa have the highest average agricultural labour force participation globally, estimated at 62.5% in 2012, yet they often lack decision-making power over the profits and assets of their work.
• The 'empowerment pathway' framework identifies three interconnected dimensions: agency (the ability to make and act on choices), relations (the ability to benefit from networks), and structure (both visible organizational forms/laws and invisible cultural norms).
• Gender-responsive budgeting (GRB) in Ghana demonstrates that integrating gender equity into governmental planning and budget processes prevents 'policy evaporation' and ensures that legal commitments to equality translate into funded actions.
• Household methodologies, such as those used in Zambia's Agricultural Support Programme (ASP) and Ethiopia's HARVEST project, improve resilience by encouraging men and women to share roles and responsibilities, ensuring farms continue to function if a spouse dies or is absent.
• The Gender Action Learning System (GALS) in Uganda's coffee sector shows that using visual diagram tools to map personal visions and gender inequalities can reduce gender-based violence and encourage joint household investments, such as buying land.
• Traditional leaders in Zambia, such as Senior Chief Bright Nalubamba, have successfully promoted gender equality by appointing women to leadership positions and supporting their rights to own land and oxen.
• In Kenya, the 2010 Constitution provides a progressive legal structure for women's land rights, but grassroots efforts like GROOTS Kenya's 'Watchdog Groups' are necessary to ensure these laws are implemented and to protect widows from disinheritance.
• Women face specific barriers in agricultural value chains, including a lack of collateral for loans, limited transport options, and the burden of domestic workloads, which often trap them in low-profit niches.
• Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is often hindered by gender inequalities; women are more vulnerable to climate impacts due to their dependence on natural resources and limited access to information and assets.
• The Africa Biogas Partnership Programme (ABPP) found that while biogas digesters significantly reduce women's daily workload in cooking and fuel collection, women are rarely the primary decision-makers regarding the purchase of the technology.

APA

Farnworth, C., Sundell, M. F., Nzioki, A., Shivutse, V., & Davis, M. (n.d.). Transforming Gender Relations in Agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SIANI-Gender-Africa-book/SIANI-2013-Transforming-Gender-Relations-Agriculture-Africa.pdf

Chicago

Farnworth, Cathy, Melinda Fones Sundell, Akinyi Nzioki, Violet Shivutse, and Marion Davis. Transforming Gender Relations in Agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa. Stockholm Environment Institute, n.d. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SIANI-Gender-Africa-book/SIANI-2013-Transforming-Gender-Relations-Agriculture-Africa.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Farnworth |first1=Cathy |last2=Sundell |first2=Melinda Fones |last3=Nzioki |first3=Akinyi |last4=Shivutse |first4=Violet |last5=Davis |first5=Marion |title=Transforming Gender Relations in Agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SIANI-Gender-Africa-book/SIANI-2013-Transforming-Gender-Relations-Agriculture-Africa.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{farnworthndtransforming, author = {Farnworth, Cathy and Sundell, Melinda Fones and Nzioki, Akinyi and Shivutse, Violet and Davis, Marion}, title = {{Transforming Gender Relations in Agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SIANI-Gender-Africa-book/SIANI-2013-Transforming-Gender-Relations-Agriculture-Africa.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }