New report exposes pervasive gender inequalities in sub-Saharan Africa’s agrifood systems, despite women powering half the agrifood workforce | FAO News

Dakar – In sub-Saharan Africa, approximately three out of four working women (76 percent) are employed in agrifood systems, & women make up 49 percent of the agrifood systems workforce. Within agrifood systems, women’s employment in off-farm segments – such as production, processing, distribution, consumption & packaging – is increasing across the region, rising to 29 percent in 2022 from 21 percent in 2005.

These figures were presented in the overview of The Status of Women in Agrifood Systems in Sub-Saharan Africareport released today by the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Natural Resources Institute of the University of Greenwich (NRI) & African Women in Agricultural Research & Development (AWARD) during the Africa Food Systems Forum in Dakar, Senegal.

The report highlights that in sub-Saharan Africa, women are recognized as carriers of culture, knowledge & social cohesion within agrifood systems. It suggests that greater investment in women’s empowerment can boost social justice & unlock inclusive growth, food security & climate resilience. Securing African women’s rights to natural resources & ecological repair are also essential for achieving gender equality, enhancing their agency & economic opportunities, & increasing their resilience to climate, environmental, health & economic shocks.

While women make up almost three-quarters (73 percent) of the workforce in food processing & services, the figure drops to only 3 percent in transport, highlighting the tendency for women to be concentrated in roles closely aligned with domestic & reproductive work. Meanwhile, more than 90 percent of employed women in the region work in the informal sector. Their work remains largely under-recognized & undervalued, which limits women’s visibility & influence.  

“Agrifood systems across sub-Saharan Africa are powered by women’s informal, domestic & subsistence work. Investments & enabling policies are needed to create more formal wage-paying jobs for women, & social protection programmes must be expanded to safeguard women’s livelihoods,” said Abebe Haile-Gabriel, FAO Assistant Director-General & Regional Representative for Africa.

In 28 of the 33 sub-Saharan African countries for which data on agricultural land ownership are available, men are more likely than women to own land or hold secure land rights. Systemic barriers limit women’s access to not just land, but also water & forests, which are necessary for their own & their family’s well-being & livelihoods. 

“Positive change already exists in sub-Saharan Africa which is directly addressing the inequalities faced by diverse women in the region– such as collective action towards women’s land rights, addressing gender based violence, & leadership in agroecological movements & natural resource governance– while there is a long way to go, these changes can improve women’s livelihoods & wellbeing, as well as ensure women’s priorities are more meaningfully represented in decision-making,” highlighted Dr Lora Forsythe, Associate Professor in Gender, Inequalities & Food Systems at NRI.

The region has seen a sharp rise in the prevalence of food insecurity over the last decade. According to the most recent data, around 64 percent of the population experienced moderate or severe food insecurity in 2024, with 11.2 million more women than men being affected. Almost 40 percent of women aged 15–49 in sub-Saharan Africa are anaemic.  Moreover, many women in the region face serious occupational health risks in agrifood systems, & gender-based violence is pervasive. 

Presenting the report in Dakar on behalf of FAO, NRI & AWARD, AWARD Director Dr Susan Kaaria emphasized that gender-transformative approaches can be effective in tackling the root causes of inequality & boosting women’s agency. “Achieving gender equality & empowering women in agrifood systems is both a moral imperative & an effective policy choice. It is key to social justice as well as unlocking inclusive growth, food security & climate resilience,” said Dr Kaaria.