In sub-Saharan Africa, women play a central role in agrifood systems, with approximately 76 percent of working women employed in the sector and women making up 49 percent of the overall agrifood workforce. Employment for women in off-farm segments—including production, processing, distribution, consumption, and packaging—has increased from 21 percent in 2005 to 29 percent in 2022. These figures are highlighted in the report The Status of Women in Agrifood Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa, published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Natural Resources Institute of the University of Greenwich (NRI), and African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) during the 2025 Africa Food Systems Forum in Dakar, Senegal.
The report underscores women’s role as carriers of culture, knowledge, and social cohesion within agrifood systems. Greater investment in women’s empowerment is seen as essential to promoting social justice, inclusive economic growth, food security, and climate resilience. Securing women’s rights to land, water, forests, and ecological resources is critical to enhancing their agency, economic opportunities, and resilience to environmental, health, and economic shocks.
Despite their contributions, women remain concentrated in roles closely linked to domestic and reproductive work. Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of women are employed in food processing and services, yet only 3 percent work in transport. Over 90 percent of employed women operate in the informal sector, where their work is largely under-recognized and undervalued, limiting their visibility and influence. FAO’s Abebe Haile-Gabriel emphasized the need for investments, enabling policies, and expanded social protection programs to create formal wage-paying opportunities and safeguard women’s livelihoods.
Land ownership and access to natural resources remain major barriers. In 28 of 33 sub-Saharan African countries with available data, men are more likely than women to own land or hold secure land rights. Systemic barriers also limit women’s access to water and forests, crucial for their families’ well-being and livelihoods. Positive changes are emerging, including collective action for women’s land rights, leadership in agroecological movements, and initiatives addressing gender-based violence, which can enhance women’s livelihoods and representation in decision-making, according to Dr. Lora Forsythe of NRI.
The region faces rising food insecurity, with 64 percent of the population affected in 2024 and 11.2 million more women than men impacted. Health challenges are also significant, with nearly 40 percent of women aged 15–49 experiencing anemia and many exposed to occupational risks and pervasive gender-based violence. AWARD Director Dr. Susan Kaaria emphasized that gender-transformative approaches are critical to tackling these inequalities. Achieving gender equality in agrifood systems is not only a moral imperative but also a strategic pathway to social justice, inclusive growth, food security, and climate resilience.
