BIG ROLES, LITTLE POWERS - The reality of women in agriculture in ECOWAS region - FAO
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BIG ROLES, LITTLE POWERS
The reality of women in
agriculture in ECOWAS region
Big roles, little powers
Contents
PAGES 3-4
Introduction
PAGES 5-6
Despite some progress, ECOWAS member countries
remain slow in the race for gender equality and
women’s empowerment
PAGES 7-8
Where is the money for women in agriculture?
PAGES 9-10
National and Regional Agricultural Investment Plans
should leave no rural woman behind
PAGES 11-12
Women’s empowerment is paramount for achieving
the Zero Hunger and Sustainable Development Goals
PAGES 13-14
ECOWAS member countries will produce more and
import less if they provide more incentives to women
in agribusiness
PAGES 15-16
Conclusion and recommendations
Cover Page Photograph
©FAO/G. Bizzarri
1
Key messages
The success of ECOWAS member countries in fully
achieving food and nutrition goals, import substitution and
competitiveness of their agricultural products depends on key
pillars of change such as:
• Their capacity to harness the full productive potential
of women, men and youth along agricultural value
chains and in agro-industries.
• The effective fulfillment of women’s rights to food,
land and decent employment as a pre-requisite for
inclusive agricultural and economic growth.
• The extent to which the management of agricultural and
food systems, and natural resources in the context of
climate change takes cognizance of women and men’s
different roles, constraints, priorities and incentives
they may respond to.
The following key messages are proposed to guide policies,
programmes and investments in the agricultural and rural
sectors:
• Investing in women along agricultural value chains
is the right and smart thing to do for thriving agricultural
and food systems in the ECOWAS region. For every
dollar invested in women, the dividends are enormous
in overcoming hunger, malnutrition and poverty, and
creating wealth for rural communities.
• When women have full access to resources, assets,
services and opportunities, they become so that it
becomes key driving force against rural poverty,
hunger and malnutrition. It is urgent to address
women’s right to land, finance and technology for a
real agricultural growth and transformation in ECOWAS
member countries.
• Women’s health, nutrition and education are key to
achieving zero hunger in the ECOWAS region. Evidence
shows that healthy, educated and well-nourished women
are more productive, they save more, invest more and
have healthier children who perform better at school.
• We should create the conditions for women to exert
greater decision-making in agricultural and food
systems and in the management of natural
resources, in the context of climate change.
• There is a consensus on the urgency to empower
women in agricultural production and value chains.
It is now time to “walk the talk” through national and
regional agricultural investment plans that adequately
©FAO/Olivier Asselin
respond to women’s needs and priorities.
2
Big roles, little powers
Introduction
The ECOWAS region is rich with The political momentum
policy frameworks to empower for empowering women in
women in the agricultural and agriculture is higher than ever
rural sectors. in Africa! It is now time to
step up the actions
• Article 63 of the Revised
ECOWAS Treaty calls on • The Malabo Declaration
Member States “to formulate, on “Accelerated Agricultural
harmonize, coordinate and Growth and Transformation
implement the appropriate for Shared Prosperity and
policies and mechanisms Improved Livelihoods”
to improve the economic, adopted in June 2014 by the
social and cultural African Union Summit called
conditions of women”. for deliberate and targeted
public support to women
• ECOWAS Vision 2020 to participate and directly
adopted in June 2010 strives benefit from the growth and
for “an inclusive society transformation opportunities
achieved through human to improve their lives and
capital development and livelihoods.
empowerment offering
a peaceful and healthy • The “Declaration on
environment where 2015 Year of women’s
women, children and youth empowerment and
thrive and have equal development towards
opportunities to excel and Africa’s Agenda 2063”
have equitable access to invites governments to
resources for human and increase mechanization,
social development”. technological innovation,
education and skills
WOMEN IN • The Regional Partnership Pact development for women.
for the Implementation of It also calls upon financial
THE VILLAGES the ECOWAP/CAADP 2025 institutions to have a
SHOULD FEEL adopted in 2015 during the
international conference on
minimum quota of 50% to
finance women to grow from
THE DIRECT “ECOWAP+10 and Prospects micro to macro businesses.
for 2025” made further
IMPACT OF commitments to improve the • The declaration of 2016 on
POLICIES AND governance of agricultural “Africa Year of Human
policy by strengthening Rights, in particular,
LEGISLATIONS compliance with the principles with focus on the Rights
ON GENDER of gender equality and equity,
and accountability.
of Women” specifically
emphasizes the rights of poor
EQUALITY
3
GENDER
EQUALITY AND
WOMEN’S
EMPOWERMENT
ARE CENTRAL
TO THE
SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
GOALS
Women starting to plant seedlings FAO project GCP/INT/157/EC ©FAO/Giulio Napolitano
women to food, land and through markets and • Their economic
social protection as part opportunities for value empowerment with lower
and parcel of their human addition and non-farm access to productive assets,
rights. employment. services, markets and decent
employment.
However women face important
• The 2030 Agenda
challenges to fully benefit from
for Sustainable • Their political
the agricultural growth and
Development addresses empowerment with low
transformation in the region
issues facing women levels of representation in
with regards to:
in agriculture and calls governance at all levels,
upon States to: fulfill and therefore their lower
• Their social empowerment
women’s equal rights participation in shaping laws,
with low levels of literacy,
to economic resources, policies, programmes and
lack of child care services and
basic services, technology investments.
infrastructure in rural areas
and financial services, and prevailing social and
land and other forms cultural norms that deprive
of property and natural women from their mobility.
WE MUST LOOK AT
resources; and double In the majority of ECOWAS GENDER INEQUALITIES
by 2030 the agricultural member countries, illiteracy is IN THE AGRICULTURAL
productivity and incomes much higher among women SECTOR AS A KEY
of women small-scale than men, especially in rural CAPABILITY ISSUE WHICH
food producers including areas.
UNDERMINES THE FULL
GROWTH POTENTIAL OF
4
THE SECTOR
Big roles, little powers
Despite some progress, ECOWAS member
countries remain slow in the race for gender
equality and women’s empowerment
The agricultural sector is one • In Ghana: women hold Women have smaller
of the main contributors smaller farms compared to livestock holding than
to economic growth and men. Men hold 3.2 times men
sustainable development in more of the total farms
ECOWAS member countries. than women do, and 8.1 Women usually keep fewer
Women are driving forces times more of the medium livestock, typically of smaller
for agricultural development, and large-sized farms of 5 breeds, and earn less from the
food security and nutrition in acres or more (FAO, 2012). livestock they do own. In the
the region. They represent an Gambia, 52% of sheep owners
• In Mali: men own 86% of and 67% of goat owners are
important percentage of the
agricultural plots compared women (FAO, 2009).
agricultural labour force. They
to 14% for women.
are the frontline nutrition care For instance in Ghana and
The average size of men
givers in the family, producing, Nigeria, male holdings are
owned plots is 1.7 hectares
storing, cleaning and cooking more than three times larger
compared to 0.6 hectares
the food. They are also labour than those of female-headed
for women (Enquête
providers in agro-industries. households (FAO, 2011). Men
Agricole de Conjoncture
However, they still face major are responsible for keeping
2014-2015).
challenges. and marketing large animals,
• In Niger: men control
Land rights continue such as cattle, horses and
86.7 % of agricultural land
to discriminate against camels. These animals are
compared to 13.3% for
women more prestigious, have a higher
women (General agriculture monetary value and can be
Land is the primary productive and livestock census, used for transport and animal
asset in most rural areas and 2005/2007). A recent study labour.
probably the most important shows that the gender gap
livelihood asset for many in productivity per hectare Important gender gaps
rural households. It is also reaches 66% in Niger when persist in extension
an important collateral for comparing women and service delivery
accessing credit from formal men with similar sized plots
in a similar context due to Women have lower access
banking institutions. Women’s
women’s lower access to to technical knowledge
rights to own, inherit, buy,
productive resources (World on agriculture due to the
lease, use or transfer land often
Bank, 2014). following:
depend on complex social,
cultural and legal frameworks.
• In Nigeria: persisting • High levels of illiteracy
Even where legislation has
gender inequalities exist in among rural women.
removed gender barriers to land
land ownership with men
ownership, men and women do
owning 93% of the land • The share of women among
not have equal access to land.
against 7% for women extension workers is low.
(Gender Audit, Federal For instance in Nigeria, the
For instance:
Ministry of Agriculture and share of women among
Rural Development, 2013). extension workers is 6%
5
A commercial chicken farmer, Sherifat Sheriff, showing her 5 000 chickens. She has successfully protected her flock from bird
flu through good hygiene and good farming practices. FAO Project - TCP/RAF/3016 © FAO/Scott Nelson/WPN
compared to 94% for men. The technology Both women and men face
Due to cultural and gender challenge: most women challenges in accessing
barriers, women farmers technologies, however the
still have to grater
may have more difficulties constraints for women are
accessing services provided by cassava and beat the rice greater due their lower access
male extension workers. with their bare hands to finance and economic
opportunities.
• Male-dominated
communication channels Technologies and innovations
matter for unleashing the full Existing technologies for rural
that control the flow of women tend to perpetuate
information resulting in the productive potential of women
to contribute and benefit fully the gender stereotypes.
failure to reach and mobilize For instance in Togo, mills
women farmers. from agricultural growth and
transformation. The African mostly operated by men are
Union “Campaign to confine the most common equipment
• Women’s lower self-
the hand held hoe to the found in 81% of villages
confidence in areas and roles
museum” launched in 2015 (national agricultural census,
outside socially stereotyped
is a strong reminder of the 2013), while government
gender roles.
challenges women face in provision of tractors generally
• Women’s limited access to accessing modern technology favors men.
means of transportation as for agricultural production,
they often depend on male food processing and value
members of the family. addition.
6
Big roles, little powers
Where is the money for women in
agriculture?
Financial Inclusion of Governments can play a key
women in agriculture role in strengthening links
remains problematic between the formal banks
and intermediary lending
Important gender disparities organizations providing credit to
exist with regards to access women in agriculture, including
to finance hence there is through legislative support and
the need for credit schemes mobilizing capital for those
with no collateral and low institutions to increase the
interest rates, guarantee availability of credit.
funds, savings and insurance
services.
Table 1: Gender disparities in access to finance in Nigeria
IT IS ESSENTIAL
TO BUILD
SYSTEMS AND
INSTITUTIONS
THAT CAN
DELIVER THE Source: Gender Audit Report of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Nigeria,
RANGE OF 2013
FINANCIAL
SERVICES
WOMEN NEED
TO GROW THEIR
AGRIBUSINESSES
7
The same trends are observed in Mali as shown below. Not only do women have less access to credit
in general, but the amounts they can borrow are much smaller compared to men.
Table 2: Loan recipients by amount and sex in Mali
Source : CPS/SDR -2010, Dimension genre du secteur agricole au Mali
Women need inclusive technology, finance, services, of female employees is 90%
business models in value value addition and linkage of for French beans and 60% for
chain, agro-industries and smallholder producers to input cherry tomatoes in Senegal.
markets suppliers and markets. ECOWAS However, in the cherries tomato
member countries should put sector in Senegal, only 2% of
The modernization of agriculture special emphasis on de-risking female workers and 28% of
in the ECOWAS region requires lending to women in agribusiness. male workers have permanent
addressing the agriculture- contracts (FAO, IFAD and World
Women are important labour
trade-industry linkages through Bank, 2009).
providers in agriculture value
inclusive business models that chains and agro-industries.
equally benefit women, men Men are often concentrated
According to a review of in higher status and more
and youth. This involves skills, sample value chains, the share remunerative contract farming,
while women are predominant in
unskilled and lower paid labour
without social safety nets.
The review also shows that
Women workers in agricultural
value chains are less likely to
join labor unions than their
male counterparts. This deprives
them of a bargaining power to
better negotiate better working
conditions.
©FAO/Giulio Napolitano
8Big roles, little powers
National and Regional Agricultural
Investment Plans should leave no rural
woman behind
Financing is the missing ECOWAS Commission and FAO
link between policy has identified the following gaps
commitment for in the first generation of such
gender equality and plans:
implementation
• Lack of proper gender
The ECOWAS Commission has assessment to inform the
strengthened its institutional NAIP formulation, either
and human capacities for because of non-availability of
gender mainstreaming and for sex disaggregated data and
agricultural development and gender sensitive indicators
food security in the region, in most countries, or failure
while engaging its member to analyse and use such data
states and diverse actors from when available. This has led
farmers’ networks, the ECOWAP to the lack of gender-specific
Gender Group, civil society targets such as percentage
organizations, think tanks and reduction in feminized
technical and financial partners. poverty or reduction in
However, the international proportion of women among
conference on “ECOWAP+10 the food insecure.
and Prospects for 2025” held
in Dakar for the ten-year review • Limited inclusion of gender-
of ECOWAP highlighted weak focused activities is a missed
consideration of gender in the opportunity to apply gender
first generation of National and responsive budgeting in
Regional Agricultural Investment all the components of the
Plans (NAIPs and RAIP). This NAIPs.
must be rectified in the second
generation of such plans • Most NAIPs failed to consider children’s nutrition which
currently under preparation. women as important actors often depends on the
in agricultural value chains. income and food availability
The second generation
Women are often associated for women. Most NAIPs
of National Agriculture
with small scale production did not adequately address
Investment Plans should
and commercialization of women’s diverse roles in
aim at reducing existing
agricultural products towards food production, processing
gender disparities in
national and household food and marketing.
agricultural and food
security.
systems • The NAIPs did not challenge
• Support to women is evident critical issues for gender
mostly in food assistance equality in the agricultural
The recent gender assessment of to the poor, vulnerable sector: for instance, only
NAIPs jointly conducted by the women such as pregnant two countries explicitly
and lactating mother and addressed the need to
9Over the last decades,
the ECOWAS region
has made great strides
in implementing
the Comprehensive
Africa Agriculture
Development
Programme, CAADP
with: the Regional
Agricultural Policy,
ECOWAP; its various
sectoral policies
including the
Environmental Policy
and the Water Resource
Policy; Regional and
National Agricultural
Investment Plans; and
several regional and
national programmes
and projects
© FAO/Sebastian Liste/NOOR
secure women’s land rights; inequality, because they focus no country included crop
no country addressed on modernizing female- insurance either for men or
women’s unpaid work dominated sub-sectors women smallholder farmers;
and provision of child with higher technologies only one country referred to
care services for women of production to formalize social protection against loss
workers, especially in the activity, without any of income and natural disaster
rural areas; and only three specific measure to secure the specific to women; and only
countries specifically position of women in these two countries specifically
indicated plans to target sub-sectors. mentioned women farmers in
women farmers for rural the promotion of sustainable
• With regards to the
financial inclusion. and climate-resilient agriculture
resilience of agricultural
• Some NAIP programme through special training in the
systems in the context of
components are likely to farmer field schools.
climate change, important
result in further gender
gaps were also identified:
10Big roles, little powers
Women’s empowerment is
paramount for achieving the
Zero Hunger and Sustainable
Development Goals
Zero Hunger is high on Significant progress has in Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire,
the agenda of ECOWAS been made in reducing Guinea Bissau, Guinea Conakry,
member countries hunger, but children and Mali, Nigeria and Togo. Ghana
women’s malnutrition has a medium prevalence (20
The achievement of Zero Hunger remain high. to 29.9%) while Gambia and
is a high priority for ECOWAS Senegal have a prevalence rate
member countries. The West ECOWAS member countries
inferior to 20% (Global nutrition
Africa Zero Hunger Initiative have been praised for having
report, estimate for 2014).
implemented with FAO’s support reduced the number of
aims to eliminate hunger by undernourished people by Women’s low status has
2025. It provides Governments, almost 13 million between a detrimental impact on
regional bodies, farmers’ 1990-92 and 2014-16, despite child nutrition
networks, development partners a significant population growth
and civil society organizations and recurrent droughts in
with a common framework Sahel countries. However, The educational level of mothers
for allocating resources, such progress is insufficient to is an important determinant
monitoring progress and reach the World Food Summit of children’s nutritional status.
ensuring accountability towards target of halving the number of The risk of chronic and severe
zero hunger. It also focuses on undernourished people by 2015. malnutrition, underweight and
nutrition sensitive agriculture anemia among infants and
and social protection, with the For instance, the adequate children decreases significantly
ultimate aim to graduate the nutritional status of mothers with a higher educational level
beneficiaries of cash transfer during pre and post-delivery of mothers.
and other programmes into the guarantees the nutritional
productive workforce. well-being of their infants
in particular during the first In 2012, the UN Secretary
Gender and nutrition are critical 1,000-days of live, General, Ban Ki Mon
inseparable parts of the vicious from conception to 2-years of launched the Zero Hunger
cycle of poverty, especially in age. Iron deficiency anemia at Challenge that proclaimed
rural areas. Gender relations childbirth is still a major cause that “hunger can be
affect the equitable distribution of high maternal mortality in
eliminated in our lifetimes”.
of nutritious food to household ECOWAS member countries,
as the prevalence of anemia This requires comprehensive
members, and it is commonly
in reproductive women is very efforts to ensure that:
said that in some communities,
women and girls eat last and alarming: it is superior to 40 • Every man, woman and
least after men and boys. % for all ECOWAS member
child enjoy their Right to
Gender inequality can be a countries. In some communities,
food taboos still deprive women
Adequate Food
cause as well as an effect of • Women are empowered
hunger and malnutrition. Higher from access to nutritious food.
Stunting in children under five • Priority is given to family
levels of gender inequality are
associated with higher levels is also very high: the prevalence farming
of under nutrition, especially is superior to 40% for Benin, • Food systems everywhere
among children and infants. Liberia, Niger and Sierra Leone, are sustainable
and it is between 30 to 39.9%
11Farmers working in a green beans plot in the vast area of Koer Abundoy, where several vegetable gardens are
farmed to provide to the community and to the local market. ©FAO/Marco Longari
Table 3: Effect of education level of mothers on children’s nutritional status in Togo
Source: Data from the Demographic and Health Survey in Togo, EDST-III, 2014
Data from Niger show that women headed household are at a greater risk of food insecurity.
Table 4: Distribution of population in percentage according to the sex of head of household and
levels of food insecurity in Niger
Source : INS-Niger «Enquête Conjointe sur la Vulnérabilité des Ménages à l’Insécurité Alimentaire au Niger (décembre 2014-janvier
2015)», Niamey.
12Big roles, little powers
ECOWAS member countries will produce
more and import less if they provide more
incentives to women in agribusiness
Gender inequalities are a key capability issue
which undermines the full growth potential
of the agricultural sector in ECOWAS member
countries. Empowering more women and
youth and their cooperatives with secure land
rights, inputs, services, finance, technologies,
and value chain development is critical to the
success of the agricultural transformation
agenda in the ECOWAS region. For instance,
in Gambia, women represent 90% of rice
producers and field managers (DoA, NASS
Report, 2013). Therefore, the success of the
Rice Offensive in the country will depend on
how it takes cognizance and supports the
important contribution of women in rice
production, processing and value chain.
Figure 1: Addressing gender in the
narrative of agricultural growth and
transformation in the ECOWAS region
ECOWAS
MEMBER
COUNTRIES
CAN
SIGNIFICANTLY
REDUCE THEIR
NET FOOD
IMPORT IF
THEY HARNESS
THE FULL
PRODUCTIVE
POTENTIAL OF
WOMEN, MEN
AND YOUTH IN Source: Adapted from the Gender Audit Report of the
Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
AGRIBUSINESS of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (FMARD), 2013
13©FAO/Isaac Kasamani
14Big roles, little powers
Conclusion and recommendations
The Country Gender Assessments is still low and mainly tied ©FAO/Sebastian Liste/NOOR
of the Agricultural and Rural to small scale and short
Sectors and NAIPs conducted in term projects funded by
all ECOWAS member countries development partners.
have evidenced the following:
There is need to leverage
There are still important gaps public funding and
between legislation and institutional capacities
implementation of gender for empowering women
equality commitments in agriculture and value
chains.
• Gender inequalities remain
socially accepted and • The policy commitment
tolerated due to patriarchy, to mainstream gender in
gender stereotypes and NAIPs does not match
socio-cultural norms and the policy conception,
practices. Mass education levels of activities planned,
and awareness raising are financing mechanisms,
needed to engage men in institutional capacities
the communities to promote
change towards women’s
empowerment in rural areas.
• The inadequate levels
of infrastructure and
technology in rural
households have a direct
MORE EFFORTS and monitoring and
evaluation frameworks
impact on women’s unpaid ARE NEEDED
workload, because domestic • The NAIPs did not always
and reproductive activities are FOR EFFECTIVE fundamentally address
linked with female gender FULFILLMENT the factors fueling
roles. Rural women invest gender inequalities such
significant time in food OF WOMEN’S as women’s land rights,
preparation, cleaning, child
care and other domestic
EQUAL RIGHTS their low levels of literacy,
and the lack of child care
activities, thus reducing their TO FOOD, services and labour saving
economic and educational
opportunities. Lack of LAND, FINANCE, technologies in rural areas.
technologies also compounds EDUCATION • The NAIPs lack a proper
gender assessment of
their participation in value
chains. AND DECENT women, men and youth
contribution in agricultural
• Financing for gender equality
EMPLOYMENT production and value
15Recommendations on the and innovations for food
way forward production and agro-
processing, and meeting
The following recommendations their needs for extension,
are made to ECOWAS member financial, information
countries to support their and marketing services.
efforts to expand women’s This includes capacity
opportunities in inclusive development in certification,
agricultural growth and labeling and packaging
transformation: and linkage to markets,
including opportunities
• Fully integrate gender in public procurement;
considerations in national while engaging the
budgets, NAIPs, green private sector to promote
climate funds and public- inclusive business models
private partnerships through in agribusinesses and agro-
gender responsive budgeting. industries.
• Strengthen capacities of • Improve financial inclusion
Governments and rural of women in agribusiness
institutions in gender- through encouraging
responsive and inclusive banking and financial
policy and programme institutions to use credit
design, financing, and savings methodologies
implementation and that are effective in reaching
monitoring in the agricultural women in agriculture,
and rural sectors. This simplify banking practices,
chains based on reliable includes improving the reduce transaction costs, and
data, as well as proper availability and use of sex de-risk financing for women
baselines and targets for disaggregated data and in agribusiness. This involves
gender equality. gender sensitive indicators opening special windows for
• An over focus on to inform policies and lending to women without a
modernizing female- programmes. land title.
dominated sub-sectors
of agriculture without • Incentivise women and • Provide the space to
strengthening their their cooperatives and ensure women’s adequate
capacities to take full organizations to grow participation in agricultural
benefits from the new their agribusinesses policy making, local
opportunities would through enforcing their governance and rural
further jeopardize women’s land tenure and decent institutions.
positions in these sub- employment rights,
sectors. ensuring their access to
and uptake of technologies
16Big roles, little powers
©FAO/Sebas
This policy brief was prepared
with the framework of the
ECOWAS-FAO technical
cooperation project on
“Gender Responsive Regional
and National Agricultural
Investment Plans for meeting
the Zero Hunger Challenge
in the ECOWAS region”.
The overarching goal of
this project is to ensure that
agricultural transformation
and inclusive agricultural
growth fully benefit and
empower women and youth
farmers in ECOWAS Member
countries.
It fully contributes to
the implementation of
the ECOWAS Common
Agricultural Policy, ECOWAP/
CAADP 2025, the ECOWAS
Zero Hunger Initiative, and the
ECOWAS Regional Agricultural
Investment Plan. The project is
fully aligned with the Malabo
Declaration on “Accelerated
Agricultural Growth and
Transformation for Shared
Prosperity and Improved
Livelihoods”.
17stian Liste/NOOR
©FAO/Seyllou Diallo
19©FAO/Sebastian Liste/NOOR
BIG ROLES, LITTLE POWERS
The reality of women in
agriculture in ECOWAS
region
For more information, contact:
Dr Bolanle Adetoun Ms Tacko Ndiaye
Principal Program Officer for Gender Senior Gender and Rural Development Officer
badetoun@ecowas.int Tacko.Ndiaye@fao.org
Department of Social Affairs and Gender Regional Office for Africa
ECOWAS Commission Food and Agriculture Organization
of the United Nations (FAO)
I7005EN/1/03.17
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