Women’s contribution to agricultural growth from subsistence to commercial farming cannot be underestimated, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has said.

"If women had the same access to productive resources as men, they could increase yields on their farms by 20-30 per cent and raise total agricultural outputs by 2.5 to 4 per cent and this could lift an estimated 100-150 million people out of hunger worldwide,” said Tacko Ndiaye, FAO Africa Region Senior Officer for Gender, Equality and Rural Development.

Ndiaye was speaking ahead of this week’s 9th African Regional Conference on Women (Beijing+20 Review) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The three-day conference, that ended on Wednesday, attracted over 500 delegates including ministers of gender, representatives of governments, MPs, observers from women groups, civil society organisations, academic institutions, and experts from other organisations.

The conference discussed the consolidated regional report for endorsement in view of the 2015 United Nations Commission on the Status of Women which will carry out a global review and appraisal of the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action 20 years after its adoption.

Women in agriculture

Agriculture plays a significant role in promoting women’s empowerment, and alleviating hunger, malnutrition and rural poverty.

In Africa, women are bound to agriculture for their livelihoods and food security.

Ndiaye said FAO addresses gender inequalities across all areas of our work, in order to achieve the three main goals of eradicating hunger and malnutrition; eliminating poverty; and ensuring sustainable management and utilisation of natural resources.

"Food production and rural incomes could increase significantly if we reduce the gender gaps in agriculture. This would bring us closer to our goal of ending hunger and achieving sustainable food security,’’ he said.

The Beijing Plus 20 Conference provides a great opportunity to advocate for agricultural growth and transformation that fully benefit women.

With the renewed international interest in agriculture and rural development as engines of economic growth, the coming years should see rural women finally becoming equal partners with men in development, according to FAO.

The 9th Regional Conference on Women was organised in two segments, a preparatory two-day technical experts’ meeting that ran from November 17 to18 and a Ministerial session conducted yesterday.

The technical experts’ meeting is aimed at informing the discussions and deliberations of the ministers as well as validating the results and recommendations of the Regional Review Report.

The meeting revolved around the gains, challenges and emerging issues that will help forge innovative strategies for the gender development agenda needed for Africa’s transformation.

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