A group of women farmers in the Oti Region has urged the government to strengthen agribusiness value chain programmes with gender-equitable principles to foster competitive and gender equality goals and enhance poverty reduction impacts.
Mrs. Mary Nandi, a representative of the group said, women’s economic empowerment can reduce poverty for everyone, adding that in order to achieve it, we need to first fix the current issues which are undermining gender equality and causing extreme economic inequality.
Gender inequality in the agriculture sector has made it harder for women to thrive in the sector, said Mrs. Nandi calling for the involvement of women farmers in the agribusiness value chain to enhance their livelihood.
Mrs. Nandi urged the government to support women to strengthen the agribusiness value chain from farm to retail, input provision, production, post-harvest processing, transportation, marketing, and sales through essential investments.
Gaining access to markets is crucial for women farmers
Mrs. Nandi said the low participation of women farmers in demand management roles in rural markets have resulted in their inability to access private-sector organized markets as part of the value chain.
“Gaining access to markets is crucial for the smallholder woman farmer to flourish. The government should improve physical access to markets through farm-to-market roads, transport facilities, market structures, and processing and storage facilities. Attention needs to be paid to ensuring transport networks are safe for women and that markets are gender-friendly (including lighting, washroom facilities, provision for childcare, etc.).”
Mrs Nandi
She disclosed that most women farmers in the country are less likely to participate in activities of marketing on account of limited freedom of movement, and low access to infrastructure, information, and networks. She called on stakeholders to create sustainable, competitive, and equitable value chains which would assist women farmers.
Many agri-stakeholders have suggested that access to markets for specific products may also be achieved by: repositioning women’s crops which are traditionally used solely for home consumption into marketable produce; adding value through post-harvest processing and storage; introducing women to marketable crops and enterprises; creating new markets among consumers; gaining a market niche with compliance with health and safety legislation, Fairtrade certification; and establishing contractual arrangements between women producers and processors with buyers and aggregators. Sensitizing men and local leaders can contribute to creating a supportive environment for women’s engagement in markets.
A recent report by the European Union demonstrates that greater attention to identifying and addressing the differing constraints, needs, and priorities of women in the design and delivery of Value Chain Addition programmes improves productivity, reduces food losses along the value chain, and stimulates higher rates of economic growth.
“In most cases, adopting gender-responsive approaches increases production, improves the quality and stability of supplies, reduces post-harvest losses, strengthens the supplier base, improves trust along the chain, develops new linkages, and stimulates new markets. In turn, this contributes to more significant and sustainable development impacts.”
EU report
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