Empowering women farmers in Kenya

 Last blog, we looked at innovative agriculture in informal settlements in Kibera, Kenya. Today, I will be taking an intersectional approach, in which we look at the importance of empowering women farmers in Kenya.

Women bean farmers in Kenya

In Kenya, 42% to 65% of the agricultural labour force makeup is women (Diiro, et al., 2018). Although women are crucial in agricultural and local water management, it is often done without pay or credit and on top of their domestic care (Nelson, et al., 2012). This is due to gender inequality and patriarchy in many countries in the Global South (Nelson, et al., 2012). Women farmers are thus responsible for a large portion of their community’s food security (Mlaba, 2023). Despite this immense responsibility, for many women farmers in Kenya and many parts of broader sub-Saharan Africa, patriarchal systems exacerbate gender inequality and problems of access (Diiro, et al., 2018; Mwololo et al., 2022) For example, only 0.5% of women have access to financial services and 6% own land, which reduces their access to formal credit and collateral (Diiro, et al., 2018). Women farmers also bear most of the burdens of domestic work and care while their male counterparts do (Diiro, et al., 2018). As well, despite their financial activity, often household men control the income flows, sale of crops and animals, which limits financial security for many women and autonomy on how their businesses are run (Nelson, et al., 2012). These all compound to limit productivity, and access to resources, ultimately hindering them from maximizing participation in income-generating activities (Diiro, et al., 2018). According to studies, agricultural productivity for women farmers lag behind their male counterparts (Diiro, et al., 2018). Many studies have found that thus, the empowerment of women farmers and agricultural production have a positive correlation (Diiro, et al., 2018; Mwololo et al., 2022; Sharaunga et al., 2015; Bonis-Profumo et al., 2021). Further, other research like Kassi et al. (2020) found that women’s empowerment has increased the diversity of diets from agricultural technology in rural Kenya. Women’s empowerment in the agricultural sector has theoretically and empirically demonstrated its benefits in poverty alleviation, food security and overall agricultural productivity (Mlaba, 2023; ). 

I would like to shed some light on initiatives involved in farmer empowerment overall, but that particularly aid women farmers in Kenya: 

1. Bima Pima is a digital financial service that assists women in managing their agricultural risks (Njoroge, 2023). The initiative brings digital literacy, a crucial component in today’s modern world, teaching them how to access information, financial tools, and markets (Njoroge, 2023). 

2. Farmer on Fire is a community organization run by Global Citizen Prize winner Wangari Kuria, that equips Kenyan women with the tools to become successful farmers and to become business-owners (Mlaba, 2023). The organization also assists marginalized single mothers, by increasing access to employment and skill development in the sector (Mlaba, 2023). 

3. Hello Tractor is an app operating in Kenya, Mozambique, Senegal, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Bangladesh, where farmers can sell, rent, and borrow farming equipment, machinery, and a tractor driver, ensuring access (Njoroge, 2023; Peters, 2018). While simultaneously increasing digital literacy, the use of this app also provides increased financial independence amongst farmers (Njoroge, 2023). The company’s goal is to make tractors readily available to any small farmer who needs it (Peters, 2018).