Women’s Grassroot Leadership- A catalyst for sustainable agriculture and economic development in East Africa

This year’s International Women’s Day (IWD) theme is “Accelerate Action for women’s equality” underscores the urgency of driving meaningful change toward gender equality. Women play an indispensable role in agriculture, food security, and economic development, yet systemic barriers hinder their full participation. Addressing these barriers and fostering grassroots leadership is essential for creating sustainable development in East Africa. Agriculture is the backbone of many East African economies, with rural women contributing significantly to food production and household nutrition. According to The African Development Bank (AFDB,2015) women provide 50% of agriculture labor – spending most of their time tending to the farms (Njobe,2015). Up to 80% of women in the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are the dependable agents in ensuring that food and nutritional needs of their households are met.  In East Africa, research shows that women farmers have lower agricultural productivity as compared to their male counterparts (UN Women,2019). This is because of gender discrimination in access to and utilisation of production resources such as land, agricultural inputs, and financial services. Furthermore, women have limited decision-making opportunities right from their households and within their local communities (World Bank,2017).  

Women are further burdened by restrictive gender norms and social structures that allocate them primary responsibilities in childcare, household management, and unpaid labour. These constraints result in time poverty, limiting their ability to engage in economic opportunities and leadership roles. Patriarchal systems and customary laws in East Africa disproportionately favour men in land ownership, decision-making, and economic participation, exacerbating gender disparities.

It is therefore not a wonder to see a group of men discussing issues to do with water connectivity in homes without any women representation. 

In the arid and semi-arid areas, the situation is worse where the principal wealth and assets is livestock based i.e. rearing of camels, cattle, sheep, and goats. Social norms limit women’s ownership of productive assets further entrenching gender inequalities in resource control and wealth accumulation. With a rigid gender division of labour, the exclusion of women from ownership of the main store of wealth is central to gender disparity. Climate change and extreme weather patterns exacerbate these challenges, highlighting the urgency of integrating gender-responsive agricultural policies and resilience-building initiatives.

What should we do?

Women leadership especially in the community and farmer-based organisation is key in accelerating action towards gender equality in agriculture sectors. Several considerations can be undertaken to increase inclusivity in agriculture and development in the rural areas.

• Gender considerations in policies that relate to agriculture and rural development is key. This means that the policy makers must be alive to the fact that leaving women behind only aggravates the poverty situations in their countries. 
• Economic empowerment for rural women- grassroots women are powerful change agents and must be supported in gaining economic autonomy. Expanding access to productive resources and services such as land, education, technology/ innovations as well as in provision of financial services will enhance their resilience. Investing in women-led agricultural enterprises and value chains will boost income generation and self-sufficiency.
• Promoting women’s leadership in farmer organisations- women must be included in leadership roles within farmer organisations to champion gender equality and advocate for inclusive decision making. 
• Addressing gender specific barriers- women farmers face distinct challenges, including lack of labour friendly technologies, access to childcare and limited financial literacy undermine women’s success. Therefore, it is important to involve women to ensure that agricultural interventions are gender responsive. 
• Provision of capacity building for women-women in agriculture require structured mentorship programs and leadership training to build their skills, confidence, and decision-making capacity. Investing in capacity-building initiatives with a focus on agribusiness management, climate resilience, and digital agriculture. Peer-to-peer mentorship programs that connect experienced women farmers with emerging leaders in agriculture, will enhance long-term growth and sustainability. 
• Access to timely agricultural information remains a significant challenge for rural women. Digital solutions such as mobile-based advisory services and farmer helplines can bridge this gap by expanding mobile banking and fintech solutions to facilitate women’s access to financial services. Providing real-time agricultural training via mobile platforms and developing gender-sensitive digital literacy programs will further enhance women’s ability to leverage technology for agricultural growth.

Call to Action: Strengthening Partnerships for Sustainable Change

To accelerate gender equality in agriculture and economic development, collaborative action is essential. Governments, private sector stakeholders, civil society organizations, and development partners must work together to,

• Increase investment in gender-responsive agriculture, ensuring women’s access to land, finance, and productive resources.
• Enhance women’s adoption of climate-smart agriculture to strengthen resilience against climate change.
• Promote inclusive governance structures, ensuring women have a voice, agency and power in agricultural policy and rural development.
• Foster public-private partnerships, facilitating market access for women-led agribusinesses.
• Support research and data collection to inform evidence-based interventions promoting gender equality in agriculture.

Conclusion

Accelerating women’s leadership in agriculture is not only a matter of equity but also an economic necessity. Investing in women’s empowerment strengthens food security, community resilience, and sustainable development across East Africa. As we celebrate International Women’s Day 2025 under the theme “Accelerate Action for Women’s Equality” policymakers have a critical role to play in creating enabling environment for gender transformation for women empowerment in the agriculture and rural development

 sector. 

Published by Dr Monica Nderitu on behalf of the East African Dryland Agroforestry Expert Group. #ViAgroforestry#SIANI

References 

FAO. (2020). FAO policy on gender equality 2020–2030. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Rome.

Njobe B. (2015). Women and Agriculture the Untapped Opportunity in the Wave of Transformation Prepared by: 

Tesfaye et al., (2022) Gender empowerment and parity in East Africa: evidence from climate-smart agriculture in Ethiopia and Kenya  Available [online] at https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17565529.2022.2154124?scroll=top&needAccess=true#abstract

UN Women Africa. (2019). The gender gap in agricultural productivity in sub-Saharan Africa: causes, costs and solutions. Policy Brief No. 11. East and Southern Africa Regional Office.

World Bank (2017). Implementing the world bank group’s gender strategy- from analysis to action to impact. Food and agriculture global practice follow-up note and action plan. The World Bank Group.