Gender and Climate Smart Agriculture

Key Takeaways from the session

Africa suffer most from climate change because it depends so much on agriculture. And it is women and children who are the worst affected. In the rural areas of most African countries, agriculture contributes 60 to 70 percent of the employment and 20 percent o fthe GDP. From this, women contribute 80 percent of this workforce. These statistics clearly indicate the importance of agriculture, and more specifically, the role of women in agriculture, in Africa. So there is a desperate need to focus on these stakeholders and put our efforts into empowering women and ultimately, improve the Africa’s socioeconomic situation. The first step is to mainstream gender in all the programmes that are being developed.
Ms Tadesse Zenebu, Minister, Ethiopian Ministry of Women, Children and Youth Affairs, highlighted the success in Ethiopia, specifically the joint venture between the Ethiopian government and WFP, through the MERET programme.
Ms Priscilla Akchapa (WEP) also highlighted experiences taking place in Nigeria and specifically, the implementation of these experiences at the grassroots level.
Adding to the presentations on the good experiences being implemented in Africa, Ms Guta Atsede presented on the Women Fuel Carriers project currently being implemented in Ethiopia. The first component of the project intends to maximize WFC revenues, improve working conditions, and introduce environmentally sustainable operational principles and practices to their activities. It also aims to increase the overall operational and economic efficiency of their fuel wood trading practices. A second component will support the WFC in identifying and establishing other economically viable and sustainable activities to diversify and increase their incomes and economic prospects. Grants will serve as the initial working capital to cover operating expenses for the new economic activities.
The Association for Creative Teaching for Rural Women and Youth in Development highlighted some of the successes as well as challenges in Cameroon. Implementation has only occurred In five of the selected 24 communities owing to inadequate funding.
COMESA gave a brief update on what they are doing regarding gender in climate smart agriculture. They underscored the importance of keeping a gender balance noting that their projects do not exclude men.
NEPAD is moving towards the development of a Gender and Climate Smart Agriculture programme and feels that Africa is on the right path in the liberation of women.