FAO: Women drive Africa’s food systems but face systemic barriers to jobs and land
The FAO report shows that women account for 49 per cent of the agrifood workforce and nearly three-quarters of food processing and service roles but remain largely excluded from formal wage-paying jobs, leadership positions, and critical decision-making spaces.
Women make up nearly half of the agrifood systems workforce in sub-Saharan Africa, yet they continue to face major barriers that limit their growth, earnings, and rights within the sector.
This is according to the latest Status of Women in Agrifood Systems report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
More To Read
- Over one billion Africans unable to afford healthy diet, UN report warns
- Explainer: What is the threshold for famine and how hunger is tracked
- From crisis to cultivation: Haiti’s farmers build resilience one seed at a time
- KEBS denies reports of contaminated sugar, calls opposition claims baseless
- Global hunger declines in 2024, but Africa faces rising food insecurity, undernourishment
- Smallholder farmers in Africa lead climate change adaptation: G20 should fund their efforts
The report shows that women account for 49 per cent of the agrifood workforce and nearly three-quarters of food processing and service roles. However, they remain largely excluded from formal wage-paying jobs, leadership positions, and critical decision-making spaces.
“Agrifood systems across sub-Saharan Africa are powered by women’s informal, domestic and subsistence work,” said Abebe Haile-Gabriel, FAO’s Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa.
“Investments and enabling policies are needed to create more formal wage-paying jobs for women, and social protection programmes must be expanded to safeguard women’s livelihoods.”
Off-farm segments engagement
The report further notes that women’s participation in off-farm segments such as processing, packaging, and distribution has risen sharply—from 21 per cent in 2005 to 29 per cent in 2022.
Yet, their presence remains minimal in higher-paying, male-dominated sectors such as transport, where women represent just three per cent of the workforce. FAO observes that this reflects a broader pattern in which women are concentrated in roles tied to domestic and reproductive work.
“Meanwhile, more than 90 per cent of employed women in the region work in the informal sector. Their work remains largely under-recognised and undervalued, which limits women’s visibility and influence.”
Land tenure rights
The disparities extend to access to land and other natural resources.
In 28 of the 33 sub-Saharan countries surveyed, men are more likely to own land or hold secure tenure rights than women. Similar inequalities exist in access to water and forest resources, which are vital for rural livelihoods.
According to FAO, the lack of control over such assets directly undermines women’s economic autonomy and their resilience to shocks ranging from climate change to health crises.
The report also highlights worrying trends in food insecurity and health, noting that women are disproportionately affected. Food insecurity in the region has risen sharply over the past decade, with around 64 per cent of the population facing moderate or severe food insecurity in 2024. Of these, 11.2 million more women than men were affected.
Additionally, almost 40 per cent of women aged 15 to 49 are anaemic.
“Moreover, many women in the region face serious occupational health risks in agrifood systems, and gender-based violence is pervasive.”
Top Stories Today
