Gender Equality Strategy for Ethiopia’s Agriculture Sector: Improving Outcomes for All

The strategy was developed following a lengthy and highly consultative process, involving a multi-institutional taskforce. The strategy aims to address the significant inequalities facing Ethiopian women farmers and promote gender equality in the agriculture sector. Agriculture is the major livelihood of men and women in rural communities in Ethiopia, accounting for more than 80% of the labor force, of which 50% are women. The agriculture sector contributes to 46% of the nation's gross domestic product and 90% of its export earnings. Women contribute to approximately 70% of the food production in Ethiopia, mainly as smallholder farmers and either as spouses or female household heads. Despite their significant contributions, women in married households rarely participate equally in decision-making processes and do not share the benefits with their male counterparts. The strategy identifies several specific gender issues in Ethiopian agriculture, including the lack of access to inputs, technology, and extension advice for women farmers. Women are often excluded from decision-making processes, and their contributions to agricultural activities are not fully recognized. The strategy also highlights the importance of addressing the different categories of women farmers, including married women, female youth, and pastoral women, who have distinct interests, priorities, and development needs. Examples of gender issues identified in crop value chains include the existing structures for input access, production, and marketing, which are largely oriented towards the interests and needs of men farmers. Married women have fewer opportunities to empower their capacities, knowledge, and skills compared to men, and male dominance in decision-making, resources, and benefit control results in women having limited economic capacities and limited awareness for utilizing market opportunities. In livestock value chains, women and girls are involved in caring for livestock on a day-to-day basis but remain in the unpaid production part of the value chain. Women lack access to livestock market information, and market infrastructures are poorly developed and may be unsuitable for women. Marketing cooperatives are few in number, weak in capacity, and have few women members, forcing women to sell their livestock products in the nearest market at lower prices. The strategy aims to address these issues by promoting gender equality and empowering women farmers. It recommends the development of gender-sensitive policies, strategies, and programs that take into account the different categories of women farmers. The strategy also emphasizes the importance of engaging men and boys in promoting gender equality and addressing the patriarchal hegemony that perpetuates gender inequality. The Government of Ethiopia has made significant progress in promoting gender equality, including the adoption of a National Policy on Women in 1993 and the Second Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP 2), which commits the Government to ensuring gender equality in education, employment, and creating a conducive environment for women's empowerment. The strategy aims to build on these efforts and promote gender equality in the agriculture sector, ultimately improving outcomes for all.