Women in Lesotho have always played a major role in food production albeit at a subsistence level. In this patriarchal and gendered society, it is inculcated into every female- from toddlers as young as five years to great grandmothers- that theirs is to till the land and put food on the table for their families. Despite their prowess in farming, most women hardly venture into commercial farming, thanks to the patriarchal system and its attendant customary law precepts which deny women ownership of the land. While the battle continues for the enactment of laws to fully empower women and give them equal access to land as their male counterparts, a new breed of female commercial farmers is gradually emerging. Thirty-six-year-old Thakane Mphatsoane is one such woman blazing the trail and leading the way for female entrepreneurs in this male-dominated sector. Hailing from the tiny village of Ha Molengoane, Nazareth in…

THE African Development Bank (AfDB) through its ‘Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) initiative has partnered with the African Guarantee Fund to unlock between US$1,3 billion and US$2 billion in loans for the continent’s women-owned Small to Medium Enterprises. AfDB said the move signals the launch of AFAWA’s Guarantee for Growth (G4G) programme, which seeks to make available up to US$3 billion in financing for women entrepreneurs through de-risking and technical assistance measures. “The AfDB’s Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) programme has agreed a to partnership with the African Guarantee Fund (AGF) to unlock US$1.3 to US$2 billion in loans to women-owned small and medium-sized enterprises in Africa, by working with financial institutions to enhance their ability to lend to women,” said the regional financial institution. Already, financial institutions in countries such as Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda have signed…

In efforts to better the lives of women in Nigeria, Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) has disbursed the sum of N3.924 billion to 392,490 women and youths across Kano, Jigawa, Kogi, Adamawa, Borno, Yobe, Lagos, Niger, Nasarawa, Sokoto and Katsina state as part of its microgrant programme. Also, the Foundation has concluded plans to extend the disbursement of the micro-grant program to Ogun, Osun, Kwara, Edo, Rivers, Anambra, Ebonyi and Bauchi states as part of the next phase of this programme. A breakdown of the disbursement shows that N880 million was distributed to 88,000 women in Kano State; 27,000 women received N270 million in Jagawa state; 22,000 women received N220 million in Kogi State; 31,500 women and youth collected N315 million in Adamawa; 54,000 Women and youth got N540 million in Borno State. Furthermore, 40,000 women received N400 million in Lagos; 25,000 women received N250 million in Niger; 13,000 received N130 Million in Nassarawa; 23,990 women benefitted from the…

To the crisis caused by climate in Zambia, the Government has joined a UN coalition led by UNDP, FAO and WFP in a GCF-funded project to help women turn goat rearing into an economic fortune. This is in response to the devastating situation faced by many women in rural places of the country. For example; Sylvia Chiinda lives on the edge of desperation. Her husband died a few years ago, leaving her with no savings or possessions. It was a crushing blow for the mother of seven. To make matters worse, Zambia has seen a rise in more frequent and intense floods, recurrent droughts and other climate risks that have reduced yields for farmers like Sylvia, putting lives and livelihoods in the crosshairs. With her maize and groundnut farm production dwindling, Sylvia was forced to find an alternative income to keep her family afloat. She started running…

Elsie’s Women Empowerment Farm is the first women-owned farm producing organic cotton in the Gambia, and as the name might suggest, women’s economic empowerment is at the heart of this enterprise. Moreover, as a member of the Young Female Farmers Association, Elsie A. Williams works together with the association to boost women’s role in agriculture. ‘My vision was to revitalize cotton production in The Gambia,’ says the farm owner. ‘When we are successful with this, much more people will have jobs. I told myself to take the responsibility and mobilise other women, as I cannot do this alone.’ The Gambia has a rich history in cotton production – a major cash crop in the 1970s and 1980s. However, as a result of political changes, cotton production and export decreased significantly at the end of the century. Observing the shifting market, Elsie identified a growing demand for organic cotton in recent…