CORAF and FAO push for greater inclusion of women in agricultural services

The West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) have called for targeted programmes and inclusive policies to boost women’s participation in agricultural advisory services across Africa.

Expressing concern over the ongoing marginalisation of women despite their vital role throughout the agricultural value chain, the two organisations warned that excluding women from advisory and support systems threatens food productivity and regional food security. They emphasised the urgent need to prioritise gender considerations in all agricultural interventions.

These issues were highlighted at the opening of a three-day regional training workshop on gender and rural advisory services in Accra, part of the Food System Resilience Programme (FSRP) jointly implemented by CORAF and FAO.

The workshop aims to build the capacity of researchers from National Centres of Specialization and Regional Centres of Excellence to systematically integrate gender and social inclusion into agricultural research and innovation.

Participants received training on practical approaches and tools to mainstream gender in the development, dissemination, and adoption of technologies across agro-sylvo-pastoral and fisheries value chains, strengthening the role of women farmers and stakeholders in these sectors.

By empowering researchers and practitioners with gender-sensitive skills, CORAF and FAO hope to create more equitable agricultural systems that improve productivity and food security across West and Central Africa.