support for women in agriculture
Women labor force participation in primary production agriculture is predicted to be 46.44% of total labor force in 2019 (World Bank, 2019). In some countries, they constitute the majority. However, many women still lack access to productive resources such as land, livestock, financial services, agricultural tools and household assets.
Women account for approximately half of all rural farmers in Ghana. Despite this, they produce 20% to 30% less than men farmers due to two layers of exclusion. That is, as women and smallholder farmers.
Equalizing this disparity might increase agricultural productivity and reduce global hunger by 17%.
Agriculture is more likely than other industries to give different opportunities for women’s empowerment. Women farmers, on the other hand, face obstacles that hinder them from feeding their families and reinvesting in their businesses. They confront gender-related constraints in addition to the financial difficulties experienced by all small-scale farmers. It is evident that:
- Women do not receive the same support as men farmers do. They have less access to land, funds and machinery.
- Women are heavily involved in domestic activities including caring, cooking and cleaning, which remain hidden economically.
Development of Small-scale agriculture, where women play a critical role is an effective way of reducing hunger and poverty. Women grow a lot of food to feed their families and the communities they operate in. Little has, however, been done to ensure that they have the resources they require to improve their livelihoods, combat food insecurity, and strengthen the resilience of their communities to climate change.
The “Support Women In Agriculture Programme” at Centre of Abilities alleviates the obstacles that keep women farmers from getting vital farming support and training. We ensure that, women have secure land rights, as well as provide critical finance and operational support including technology for farming, climate change adaptation and post-harvest loss management system. Our Programme assists women to preserve their rights while also increasing their productivity. It successfully alleviates poverty and hunger by unleashing the potential of hundreds of thousands of women farmers.
Centre of Abilities runs this Programme in two folds to address discrimination (i.e., land and livestock ownership, equal pay, participation in decision-making as one fold and access to credit and financial services as the other) that permits us to work at two levels. At government level, we assist to ensure that policies promote gender equality. At the individual level, we empower women with entrepreneurial and business planning skills to make them independent and be able to participate in the local economy.
-
-
- To enable young entrepreneurs especially young women in agriculture, expand their business through the facilitation of access to funds, land, tools and management systems.
- To empower young women to recognize and adopt modernized and mechanized agriculture as a commercial business and sustainable livelihood opportunity.
- To equip young women with skills to establish their agricultural businesses; skills that may also be required of them by employers in the field of agriculture.
- To leverage technology to drive sustainable economic growth and development through agribusinesses by creating productive employment and promoting entrepreneurship.
- To facilitate the acquisition of arable farmlands, assist in value addition, packaging, and marketing of farm produce.
-
- There is compelling evidence of ageing farmer population in the country which must be addressed to facilitate sustainability in agriculture production. The average age of farmer in Ghana is 55 years and life expectancy averages between 55 – 60 years.
- Ghana’s food import bill for rice, cooking oil, frozen chicken and meat (have become staple food) continues to rise . If this trend continues the availability of food in Ghana in the near future will depend on imports making the country vulnerable to catastrophic events and other exogenous shocks that have negative impact on food production from external source. The youth is strategic to the success of any effort to boost Ghana’s food production.
- The poor image of persons involved in agriculture, especially in the rural communities needs to be changed and the youth are the ideal catalyst such change given their greater prosperity and wiliness to adapt new ideas, concept and technology which are all important to changing the way agriculture is practiced and perceived.
- Increased employment particularly rural urban employment is required as youth unemployment is on the increase.
- Increase productivity in agricultural sector depends on the youth who compromise about 50%-57% of Ghana’s active population. Their energy and numbers provide tremendous opportunities for increasing agricultural productivity.
- Support Women in Agriculture Programme provides productive alternatives for the engagement of the youth to reduce crime and other social problems.
- The Strategy shall assist young people, especially women and the communities we operate in to learn diversified, modern farming practices in order to setup and manage sustainable agricultural ventures.
- The opportunity for young people, especially women and the communities we operate to use new crop varieties and animal strains/breeds.
-
- Creation of Employment. Empowerment of young people, especially young women to secure employment as they see as dignified and fulfilling in agriculture.
- Making agriculture more attractive to young people, especially young women.
- Food Security for the nation (Production of enough food crops, meat and fish using modern methods).
- Poverty Alleviation. Transfer of modern farming practices and technology to communities we operate in to promote entrepreneurship in sustainable agribusiness to support family needs.
- Reduction in Rural Urban Migration.
- Improvement of standard of living of beneficiaries through the improvement of income.
- Fostering entrepreneurship for young people, especially young women.
- Enhancement in the preparation of young people for the job market in agribusiness.
- Illuminating pathways to productive work.
- Supporting young people to engage in Agro-Ecological production systems.
| Crops / Block Farm |
|---|
| Livestock and Poultry |
|---|
| Fisheries/Aquaculture |
|---|
| Agribusiness: Domestic and International |
|---|
| Farm Management System: Crop management, livestock management, pest control, record keeping, record keeping, optimal harvesting period management, risk management and Post-Harvest Loss Prevent |
|---|
| Personal Financial Management |
|---|
