Women have barriers in decision making power and lack of freedom of mobility in agricultural practices

Agriculture has been recognized as a key sector to leverage for improved food security and nutrition outcomes. Yet, the evidence on agriculture-gender linkages to nutrition is relatively weak and also there is a knowledge gap within the sector.

With marked variations among countries, women contribute about 50% of the agricultural labor force in Asia and Africa. Despite the fact that women represent a large segment of the workforce in the agriculture sector, they are often subject to barriers such as limited decision making power and lack of freedom of mobility in their choices of agricultural practices.

Their lower level of access to #productive resources (land & livestock), #inputs (fertilizers & improved seeds), and #services (credit & extension) for agriculture reflects a gender gap which is most often rooted in disempowering social norms that are spatially specific on geography and dominant cultural values. As the primary caregivers, such limitations pose a challenge for women to provide sufficient and adequately nutritious foods both for themselves and their children.

Therefore, empowering women with access to agricultural resources, inputs and services in a must within the sector. (Adapted from Science Direct Volume 11, Issue 1; 15 January 2025: Women empowerment, efficiency and food security nexus in rural Ethiopia: A generalized structural equation modeling)

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