Women smallholder farmers issued a global call for ensuring their equal access to agricultural technology, finance and markets, saying that unlocking women’s full participation in agriculture could significantly boost food production and reduce hunger worldwide.
The farmers made the call during a global virtual event hosted by Heifer International and partners to mark the UN-recognized International Year of the Woman Farmer. The participating farmers urged governments, funders and institutions to act on the structural barriers limiting their ability to feed their communities and strengthen food systems.
Women produce a significant share of the world’s food, and up to 80 percent of national supplies, yet they face persistent barriers to productive resources and opportunities to market their output competitively.
Women-led farms are on average 25 per cent less productive than those led by men as a result. If women had the same access to productive resources as men, farm yields could increase by 30 per cent, feeding an additional 100 to 150 million people.
The farmers at the event included Josselyn Vega, an Indigenous Kichwa Panzaleo farmer from Ecuador who has led initiatives in gender equality, climate change adaptation, agroecology, nutrition, and rural entrepreneurship. The former president of the Association of Agroecological Producers of Cotopaxi said: “Women farmers are protecting biodiversity, strengthening local markets and feeding vulnerable communities around the world — despite the barriers we face. Imagine what we could achieve if we had the same access to land, finance and decision-making power as men.”
Julian Nafula Simiyu, a poultry farmer and community leader in Bungoma County, Kenya, operates an indigenous breeds enterprise and chairs a rural savings and credit cooperative supporting farmer finance and youth entrepreneurship. She said women-led agribusinesses are untapped engines of rural growth: “When women farmers succeed, young people — especially young girls — see agriculture as an entrepreneurial opportunity, not a hardship. Therefore, investment in women-led agribusiness is an untapped investment in the next generation of rural entrepreneurs.”
The event also brought farmers into direct dialogue with development partners and decision-makers, including representatives from CGIAR’s Gender Impact Platform and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) — organisations working across research, agricultural development and sustainable land use.
The farmers called for their meaningful inclusion in the policy and investment decisions by governments, funders, and NGOs that shape rural economies. They emphasised that women farmers are already leading enterprises, producer associations and financial cooperatives, and that sustained investment in their leadership is essential to building resilient food systems — in Africa, America or anywhere in the world.
“Women farmers are already leading change in their communities, but they need more than recognition alone. To succeed, they need equal access to the resources, opportunities and decision-making power,” said Surita Sandosham, President and CEO of Heifer International, “If we are serious about ending hunger and building sustainable food systems, then listening to women farmers, and acting on what they say, is essential.”
The UN-recognised International Year of the Woman Farmer, launched by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, recognises the vital role women play in global agriculture — and the urgent need to address the barriers that limit their productivity and leadership.
To mark this year, Heifer International launched a campaign, She Has a Story to Tell. The campaign, launched at the global virtual event, is aimed at amplifying the voices and stories of smallholder women farmers with the aim of increasing food security for all.
Heifer’s programs show the measurable impact of investing in women farmers globally. In Rwanda, for example, women-led livestock initiatives have doubled milk production. In Bangladesh, more than 5,600 women have been trained in climate-smart agriculture to use solar-powered irrigation, cutting carbon emissions by nearly 33,000 litres of CO2 monthly.
In Mexico, women participating in an egg cooperative have increased their household income contribution by an average of 12 per cent and achieved 100 per cent participation in financial decision-making on their farms, up from 66 per cent.
The event marked a key milestone in global efforts to elevate the voices, leadership and priorities of women farmers during the International Year of the Woman Farmer. Insights from the session will inform continued dialogue with policymakers, investors, and development partners. Heifer International will continue activities throughout the year to amplify women’s experiences and drive action across global food systems.
