Introduction

As agriculture employs up to 70 percent of the labour force in countries of the Global South, and specifically women make up the majority, the sector not only plays a large role for economic development, but also bares a great potential to solve gender inequality by increasing energy efficiency and productivity in the sector. Thus, access to improved energy services in agriculture can alter women’s social, economic and political status – reducing time and effort involved in household activities, providing better health and educational conditions, enhancing income-generating opportunities and facilitating their participation in public affairs. The role of gender within the agriculture and energy nexus is complex and concerns all processing stages within agricultural value chains, reaching from land distribution to access to credits and access to agricultural inputs such as seeds and fertilizers. Enhancing women’s access to vital agricultural inputs such as irrigation technologies can substantially boost their agricultural productivity and incomes. Read more…

Challenges

Women and girls are faced with some gender-specific challenges within agricultural processes and practices.

For one, cultural norms and long rooted practices, benefiting mainly men, present challenges to ensure a more inclusive future. These cultural norms also inform discriminatory legal systems, which are the root causes for why women rarely own the land that they farm. As a result of these cultural norms, women farmers have less access to land, information, capital, credit and other inputs than men farmers do.

Secondly, estimates indicate that women comprise about 43 percent of the agricultural labor force globally and about 40% of agricultural labor in Africa, where most of that time is spent on crop production. The labor burden of rural women exceeds that of men and includes a higher proportion of unpaid household responsibilities, such as food preparation and the collection of fuel and water. This gender gap exists, because of the unequal access for women to land, knowledge, seeds and fertilizer (UN Women, 2015). Hence, the female face of farming needs to be better represented and taken into account in policies, programs and projects. Read more...

Opportunities

Recently, there has been a push towards gender inclusive approaches. Apart from enhancing household income and national economic growth, research shows, that women’s empowerment in agriculture increases productivity as well.

Particularly agricultural extension services have excluded women in the past. In order for extension services to not only include but even target them, extension services need to understand the constraints that women face and adapt trainings and communication material accordingly. Further, researches have shown that female community trainers increase the number of women participating in extension activities. Moreover, portraying women in extension services’ communication material such as videos reduces gender stereotypes. This highlights the importance of including women as role models. Read more…

Secondly, access to improved energy services in agriculture can alter women’s social, economic and political status – reducing time and effort involved in household activities, providing better health and educational conditions, enhancing income-generating opportunities (e.g. access to irrigation technologies) and facilitating their participation in public affairs. The role of gender within the agriculture and energy nexus is complex and concerns all processing stages within agricultural value chains, reaching from land distribution to access to credits and access to agricultural inputs such as seeds and fertilizers. Read more…

Reducing the gender gap has a potential to minimize poverty and improve nutritional outcomes. A report, published as a joint product of UN Women, the United Nation Development Programme, United Nations Environment Programme Poverty, the Environment Initiative Africa, and the World Bank in 2015, has shown that 238,000 people in Malawi, 80,000 people in Tanzania and 119,000 people in Uganda could be lifted up out of poverty by closing the gender gap in agricultural productivity (UN Women, 2015).

Therefore, pushing gender equity into policy by decision makers at all levels should be embedded to help to improve the suitability, sustainability and reach of water and sanitation services for all. The focus should involve women in the design of facilities, the management and the implementation. This will help to reach parts of the SDG agenda, particularly education, work and gender equality (UN Water).

Actors and Innovators

Solar panels are empowering women and girls in Cameroon

Women and girls in African rural communities are one of the primary victims of the energy crisis. At the same time, there is a gender gap in the green technology domain. That is why The Green Girls Organization is committed to putting women and girls at the forefront as the solution providers to their problems and at the same time promoting sustainable development in African rural communities. For three years, women and girls in Cameroon have been receiving solar panels and the trainings needed to maintain them. This gives women and girls the possibility to study after sunrise as well as lessen their economic burden as well as the need for cutting and gathering wood. Read more...

Solar power is helping women out of poverty in Nigeria and Tanzania

The organization Solar Sister believe women to be a key part of the solution to the clean energy challenge. They are also disproportionately shouldering the harmful effects of climate change and burden of energy poverty. That is why Solar Sister invest in women’s enterprise and help them start businesses selling solar products such as solar lamps and clean cook stoves. The women are mentored and provided with inventory that they can use themselves and personally describe the benefits. The women are bringing clean and renewable energy to their communities and making money in the process. Read more…

Solar power saving delivering women’s lives in maternal health facilities

In Zimbabwe power outages force women to deliver by candlelight. Power blackouts threaten to worsen maternal mortality rates, which is estimates at 651 deaths per 100,000 live births. According to UNICEF, sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, account for 86 percent of maternal deaths worldwide. We Care Solar, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are working with the government in Zimbabwe to install solar power systems in clinics and hospitals nationwide. More than 4,000 health centers have been equipped with solar technology in Asia and Africa. UNDP and the health ministry have partnered on a Solar For Health Project and installed solar systems at 405 institutions across the country to ensure uninterrupted power, including at maternity wards. And during the last three years 136 maternal health facilities have been equipped with reliable lighting and electricity in Zimbabwe with the help of We Care Solar. Read more…

Solar-powered irrigation pumps benefitting by female smallholder farmers

Women are often responsible for watering agricultural fields. To help to reduce the need to haul water for irrigation manually, an NGO called International Development Enterprises (iDE) designs and develops low-cost technologies for water supply and irrigation, run by renewable energy together with another NGO called PRACTICA Foundation in LMIC countries.

iDE supports agricultural cooperatives headed by woman in its Nepal and Honduras sites and plans to recruit female farm business advisors for its Zambia pilot tests to teach the best irrigation practices to women smallholders. The efforts made led to the farmers achieving higher agricultural yields and income using the pumps. iDE wants to reach women through organized women’s groups serving as platforms through which women can engage with local products and services. Read more…

Empowering women from marginalized areas around the Lake Victoria region through climate smart technologies for sustainable livelihoods

A community-based organization, called Wised Kenya, has its vision to empower women and girls around the Lake Victoria region to raise their engagement in sustainable enterprises and economic development. It focusses on green energy enterprises and organic farming technologies, where women and girls are trained on entrepreneurship development, leadership and advocacy skills. Read more…

Case Studies

Women play an important role in agricultural production systems, but face challenges in accessing resources and in representation. If gender aspects in agriculture were taken stronger into account, the adaptation of innovations could accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The cases represented below demonstrate actions taken worldwide to reach this objective.

Senegalese women entrepreneurs are supported to expand the local solar off-grid market. A program is enabling the collaboration between an importer and a local NGO. Read more…
Firewood harvesting is a major threat to mangrove ecosystems in Solomon Islands. Improved cooking stoves could reduce firewood use and thereby ease pressure on mangroves. A field-based experiment in Langalanga Lagoon was conducted to evaluate this theory of change. Read more…
The Women in Energy Enterprises in Kenya (WEE-K) project is strengthen women's capacity to effectively participate in and benefit from energy markets. The project uses an enterprise development model to empower women economically and provides tailor-made support to women entrepreneurs in market assessment. Read more…
The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) has conducted a study focusing on integrating gender in transitions to renewable energy in the Lower Mekong Region. Read more…

Publication and Tools

Gender and Water

In November 2012, IFAD published a report to examine the impact of water projects addressed to women and their role in water resource management. It shows the participation in decision-making by using experiences from IFAD-supported water projects. It focusses on gender issues and gives an overview on approaches on improving the development and effort in women’s access to water resources. Read more…

Gender Toolbox

Sida's Gender Toolbox provides knowledge, tools and inspiration on how to operationalize gender equality in development cooperation. A solid knowledge and method base is more important than ever due to an increased focus on gender equality in global development cooperation. The Gender Tool Box includes three different kinds of materials: Tools, Briefs and Thematic Overviews. The development context is constantly changing, and new priorities arise. Read more…

Aquastat

Since 2015, FAO's global water information system AQUASTAT has been adding sections on "women and irrigation" when updating country profiles. Sex-disaggregated data on agricultural water management is generally unavailable at the national level, and AQUASTAT aims to build on existing information to further develop key gender-related variables for inclusion in the database. Read more…

Developing Gender-Sensitive Value Chains- Guidelines for Practitioners

This publication is intended to assist practitioners in integrating gender equality dimensions more effectively in the design and implementation of value chain interventions in the agricultural sector. Read more…

The Gender in Agricultural Sourcebook

The Gender in Agricultural Sourcebook is part of The World Bank’s Agriculture and Rural Development publication series presenting recent analyses of issues that affect agriculture’s role as a source of economic development, rural livelihoods, and environmental services. The Sourcebook is the outcome of joint planning, continued interest in gender and agriculture, and concerted efforts by the World Bank, FAO, and IFAD. The purpose of the Sourcebook is to act as a guide for practitioners and technical staff in addressing gender issues and integrating gender-responsive actions in the design and implementation of agricultural projects and programs. Read more…

Renewable Energy: A Gender Perspective

Renewable energy employs about 32% women, compared to 22% in the energy sector overall. Still, within renewables, women’s participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) jobs is far lower than in administrative jobs. This report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) examines the question of gender equity throughout sector. Building on a groundbreaking survey of employees, companies and institutions, it finds that much remains to be done to boost women’s participation and allow their talents to be fully utilized. IRENA estimates that the number of jobs in renewables could increase from 10.3 million in 2017 to nearly 29 million in 2050. The ongoing global energy transition offers the chance to create new jobs and reshape all aspects of how energy is produced and distributed. Renewables offer diverse opportunities along the value chain, requiring different skill sets. But these opportunities should be equally accessible, and the benefits equitably distributed, the report notes.Read more…

Capacity development for solar-powered irrigation

This edition, published by the international journal Rural 21, deals with the sustainable adaptation of water management by smallholder farmers in rural areas by focusing on solar-powered irrigation. In addition, this publication goes closer to the role of women in sustainable energy and entrepreneurship, presenting organizations, which trains girls and women to help to work in the solar industry Read more…

Understanding Gender Impact: A Lean Data How-To Guide

This publication by Unilever, Achumen and 60 decibels presents the Lean Data Gender Toolkit and how it was implemented during eight months to measure gender impacts across five projects in four countries.

The subsequent sections of the report detail the approach, surveys and methodology for the Lean DataSM Gender Toolkit and provide both project-level analysis and consolidated insights. The objective is to provide a simple, easy-to-use, and actionable approach to help businesses, program designers, and investors understand the gender dimension of poverty and the gender impact of companies and programs working with individuals living in poverty and across all income levels. The utility of this methodology and toolkit is not about getting more women as customers, but rather unlocking the potential of women as decision-makers, employees, entrepreneurs, and leaders. Read more…

The Intervention Guide for the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI)

The Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) is a joint effort of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), and USAID under the US Feed the Future Initiative. Is the first comprehensive and standardized measure of women’s empowerment and inclusion in the agricultural sector. Launched in 2012, the index aims to increase understanding of the linkages between women’s empowerment, agricultural productivity, and food security. By doing so, it helps to diagnose empowerment gaps, identify and prioritize interventions to close these gaps, and test the effectiveness of these interventions. Read more…

2019 Annual trends and outlook report: Gender equality in rural Africa: From commitments to outcomes

Gender-sensitive policy and programming have an integral role to play in fostering inclusive agricultural growth to meet the commitments of African countries to the Malabo Declaration goals. The 2019 Annual Trends and Outlook Report from ReSAKSS applies a gender lens to key issues that must be addressed to fully achieve these goals. Chapters examine the intersections between gender and (1) the context and institutions within which rural people operate; (2) the natural resources that men and women depend on for agriculture, sources of vulnerability, and resilience to shocks; (3) assets and income; and (4) livelihood strategies and well-being. The report serves as the official M&E report for the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), tracking progress on over 30 CAADP indicators. Read more…

Gender Integration Summary Report 2016

The Gender Integration Summary Report 2016 summarizes Powering Agriculture’s innovators’ progress in integrating gender considerations into their projects. Read more…

A Powering Agriculture Guide on Integrating Gender in the Deployment of Clean Energy Solutions for Agriculture

The Powering Agriculture Guide on Integrating Gender in the Deployment of Clean Energy Solutions (CES) for Agriculture assist innovators to develop a strategy targeting both female and male clients. Read more…

A Powering Agriculture Guide to Gender Responsive Product Development

There are five stages to the product development process; each stage has unique gender considerations. This guide describes these stages and points out gender consideration strategies that can be applied to each. Read more…

A Powering Agriculture Guide on Integrating Gender in the Financing of Clean Energy Solutions

Access to financing continues to be a challenge for women. In most countries, the share of female smallholders who can access credit is 5 percent—10 percent lower than for male smallholders. Unlocking demand for a technology at a relatively low risk can be accomplished by developing and facilitating access to gender-responsive financial products via partnerships with existing financial institutions or in-house programs. Read more…

A Powering Agriculture Guide on Integrating Gender in the Marketing of Clean Energy Solutions to Agricultural Users

This guide assist in developing a marketing approach that encompasses both female and male users, and is based on international best practices in gender-responsive marketing. Read more…

A Powering Agriculture Guide on Integrating Gender in Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) of Clean Energy Solutions

This guide outlines why integrating gender into monitoring and evaluation (M&E) makes good commercial sense, and the best practices for integrating gender into the M&E of clean energy solutions. Read more…

A Powering Agriculture Guide on Integrating Gender in Human Resource Processes

This guide aligns with four general human resources (HR) lifecycle phases: 1) Workforce Planning, 2) Talent Acquisition, 3) Training and 4) Retention, and provides information and questions to be considered when identifying ways in which gender integration can be strengthened in each phase. Read more…

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Gender Aspects in Agriculture