Achieving gender equality and empowering women in agrifood systems is both a moral imperative and an effective policy choice. In sub-Saharan Africa’s agrifood systems,
where women make up just under half (49 percent) of the workforce, women’s empowerment is key to social justice as well as to unlocking inclusive growth, food security and climate resilience. This is because women in the region are deeply engaged with agrifood systems, providing essential
labour, knowledge and care that sustains households, communities and markets.

Women are recognized as carriers of culture,  traditional knowledge and social cohesion  in the region, with traditional African food often serving as powerful expressions of
meaning, identity and purpose, as well as good health and well-being. From seed preservation to meal preparation and trade, women’s practices are embedded in and foster collective memory, emotion, identity and community life, all of which form the fabric of life. Women’s experiences are
intersectional, and shaped not only by gender, but by age, class, ethnicity, location, disability and other overlapping factors.