Regional conference seeks to empower women farmers |25 May 2015

How women farmers can be empowered through various regional and national policies and programmes was the focus of a conference held during the weekend at the Coral Strand Hotel.

The conference was organised by the Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Union (Sacau) with the support of the International Fund for Agriculture (Ifad), the Southern African Trust (Sat) and We Effect.
Delegates also learned how to request for services they require from their governments and also addressed some challenges women farmers face in accessing factors of production.

Dr Theo de Jager, Sacau President, told the delegates that “Sacau is the true home of farmers of Southern Africa. It regroups 17 organisations from 12 countries but like every home if you take women out, it is not a home. It is the women who define your own place in the house. We have come here  to listen to you as we know we have the potential of bringing poverty and hunger to an end in Africa. We have a dream to produce for Africa and you need to tell us how. We are here to celebrate women and your achievements.”

Serge Benstrong, chairman of the Seychelles Farmers Association (SeyFa), said the conference is an opportunity to give women farmers a chance to express their views on challenges they are facing in agriculture and proffer their own recommendations.

“We all understand that women constitute 60% - 75% of the rural population involved in agriculture and they face more severe constraints than their male counterparts in accessing productive resources, markets and other critical agricultural services. Even in situations where women have accessed such resources, the control over their use rests with men and this hinders their productivity,” noted Mr Benstrong.

He said that SeyFa hopes with this conference to sensitise as many women farmers on what the ‘Year of Women’s Empowerment and Development’ means to African women farmers within CAADP and Malabo declaration.  

It will also sensitise women on the National Agriculture Investment Plans (NAIPs) and how they can monitor implementation of the plans (through their structures) to hold the authorities accountable; share success stories on how women are running successful agribusinesses ventures amid all challenges; share practices and challenges for women in accessing production resources such as land, capital and technology and how to collaborate with policy and decision makers to address the challenges.

The principal secretary for social affairs in the Ministry of Social Affairs, Community Development and Sports, Linda William Melanie, talked a lot about the situation of women farmers in Africa.
 
“In agriculture, the situation is both perplexing and sad. Perplexing because despite all the difficulties and inequalities, it is women not men, who is at the forefront of agriculture and farming. How is it that extension and training services still favour men over women and that policy decision making processes are not inclusive enough to attend to the specific needs of women?,” she asked.

“We need to recognise and congratulate the role of Sacau in raising such issues on the African continent. We need to ensure that in agriculture, both female and male farmers have the opportunity to play an active role in the agricultural supply chain especially in production, processing and marketing. Gender integration in agriculture makes good business sense. That is why Seychelles is fully supportive of Sacau’s position of equal access of male and female farmers to power, decision-making and leadership positions in the agricultural sector,” she said.

This conference had delegates from 11 countries from Southern Africa namelyTanzania, South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Lesotho, Namibia, Seychelles, Mozambique, Swaziland and Madagascar. Representatives of Comesa (Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa) and We Effect also were present.