Africa: Female farmers face gender discrimination

The OCP group, through its initiative ‘Trait d’union’, organized a webinar on Tuesday, March 8, entitled “Women Farmers: Crossroads Between Europe and Africa”. Its purpose is to compare the situation of female farmers in Europe and Africa and to address the different types of discrimination they face.

Family farming makes up 40% of the world’s population todayOr we may recall during this webinar that the income of 2.6 billion people is directly dependent on this activity.

The place of women in agriculture is closely linked to the question of their place in family farming. In most current family farming models, men enjoy the status of “farm leader”. Yet in this context, women know Difficulties related to their visibility and their representation in the social sphere.

In sub-Saharan Africa, women produce 80% of food items Intended for home use and for sale in local markets. Despite their role and influence, they continue to enjoy support Much less than men.

According to‘Swedish initiative of the International Agricultural Network (Swedish International Agricultural Network), A site dedicated to food security and agricultural development, The Low representation of women At Their higher literacy rate. Their Hence the release E‘The issue of access to their education.

“For a while, we noticed that nothing had changed,” said Alimata Coolibali, director of Les Briquettes in C டிte d’Ivoire, explaining that she was an African woman farmer. Accepted their situation, Despite the uncertainty, thinking that this is the norm. This thinking is linked to habits, culture and education, according to the same source.

In Led by the discrimination they face, Land ownership and credit access. African female farmers do not enjoy the same rights as their male counterparts Agricultural Inputs, Training and Markets. The World Bank has called for concrete political action to reduce it Gender gap in African agriculture.

” Rural eviction This is a problem for agriculture in Mali, “said Sana Voni Timinda, president of the Mali Co-operative Society. .

Finally, in Africa, although more than half of the agricultural population are women, they are generally Lost potential factors To improve Their productivityAccording to a 2014 World Bank report, “Field Leveling: Improving Opportunities for Female Farmers in Africa”. He noted striking production differences between men and women in six African countries: Ethiopia, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, Uganda and Tanzania.

“To improve Information access Creating an intelligence system that explains their rights to rural women can empower and empower women farmers, “said Pierre Jaquemot, an economist, former diplomat and chair of the Initiative Committee, citing the example of Senegal.

Formation of women’s group of farmers, in the form Cooperative According to the same source, it will allow women to avoid difficulties related to their profession.