Women in agriculture in contemporary Africa

Abstract

Agriculture remains one of the most important livelihood options for women across Africa, yet there are multiple challenges which include lack of access to land and productive assets, credit, and markets. In this chapter, we use a systematic review of the literature to analyze how women intersect and participate in the agriculture space in Africa. The chapter draws from multiple studies on women in agriculture across Africa and focuses on important thematic areas including land access, labor, agricultural policy, decision-making, livestock, and horticulture. Throughout the analysis, it is clear that women are largely marginalized and excluded from the lucrative parts of the agricultural value chain. Agriculture is thus largely constructed as a patriarchal system in which women play subordinate roles. Such a state of affairs poses serious challenges given that the vast majority of African women are in some way dependent on agriculture as a source of livelihood. The chapter shows that women are largely marginalized across the agrarian landscape in Africa. This includes suffering the brunt of negative policy options such as large-scale land deals and also climate change. Yet there are very limited interventions focused on increasing women's access to key agrarian resources especially land.