Women farmers struggle due to unique challenges

The Southern African Trust has placed a strong emphasis on the implementation of combating challenges faced by female farmers.

In a study by the trust aimed at evaluating gender equality in this sector, which focused on Zimbabwe and Malawi, challenges facing women farmers include:

– Women having limited access to finance, agricultural inputs such as seeds, and transport to and from markets.

– Lack of agricultural skills and infrastructure, in particular, storage facilities.

– The majority of women are involved in small-scale farming due to limited resources.

– Limited knowledge and use of farming technologies.

– Complex trade policies.

The study revealed that women in the trade sector also faced challenges, including security at border posts and a limited amount of sanitation hygiene.

The growing need to create new avenues to support women was emphasised, according to the report. It further revealed that more than 60% of households in the trade sector are headed by single, widowed and divorced women.

“Wider use of information communication technologies by women traders and farmers should be encouraged to close the information gap,” the trust’s Christabel Phiri said.

“It is important for women to be included in the development and implementation of SADC policies,” she said. “Women contribute significantly through their involvement in the production and sale of tradeable goods and as managers and owners of firms involved in trade.”

Meanwhile, AgriSA SA highlighted that the agricultural industry is one sector which does not make the news, yet women find themselves facing gender inequality. In this regard, AgriSA has introduced two projects that tackle the issue.

“The organisation has two projects that focus on uplifting women in the agricultural sector – the National Wool Growers Association’s development project and Cotton SA’s project in the Nkomazi area,” said AgriSA spokesperson Thea Liebenberg.

“These are projects that contribute daily to food security and poverty alleviation,” Liebenberg said, adding the key issues affecting women in the agricultural sector included falling victim to patriarchy.

Women also struggle to be taken seriously and there is a gender pay gap.

Women and their role in our agricultural sector:

148 million – In the SADC region , out of an estimated population of 292 million people, 148 million, or 51%, are female. The majority of small farm holders are women. They produce crops with the potential for increased trade between African countries within global markets;

60% – In the SADC region, women contribute more than 60 % of the total food production;

70% – Of the informal cross border traders (ICBTs) in the SADC, 70% region are women;

R236 billion – The United States Agency for International Development estimates the value of trade by women in the SADC region to be about $20 billion.

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