The report provides a unique quantification of the costs in terms of lost growth opportunities and an estimate of what societies, economies, and communities would gain if the gender gap in agriculture is addressed. The findings of this report are striking, and send a strong signal to policy makers in Africa as well as development partners that closing the gender gap is smart economics. Consider this: closing the gender gap in agricultural productivity could potentially lift as many as 238,000 people out of poverty in Malawi, 80,000 people in Tanzania, and 119,000 people in Uganda.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) offer a historic opportunity to shift from development in silos to a more integrated approach. This work provides evidence and policy recommendations that can support the achievement of the SDGs—which include a specific goal on achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls—as well as the objectives of the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP). The report also provides guidance on the factors that must be targeted in order to close the gender gap and improve opportunities for women farmers. It concludes with a set of general policy recommendations on how women’s empowerment, agriculture productivity, and economic growth can be addressed in an integrated manner in order to achieve the SDGs at the national level.
