'WOMEN FEED THIS COUNTRY' - PROF. LUO By Natasha Mhango

Fisheries & Livestock Minister, Nkandu Luo and; Chilanga MP Maria Langa undertaking a tour of the Department of Fisheries in Chilanga,Lusaka

Every year on Farmers’ Day - August 8th, the Ministry of Agriculture holds an award-giving ceremony to recognize and honor outstanding farmers from the all the provinces of Zambia. Attending the even in her new capacity as Fisheries and Livestock Minister, Nkandu Luo, made it clear tat women and youth were the key to agricultural transformation.

“Women are the people that feed this country,” Professor Luo said.

Her statement is made credible when one takes into consideration that “In Zambia, women constitute 64 percent of the rural population and approximately 80 percent of food producers,”
(http://www.fao.org/3/i8461en/I8461EN.pdf) Women are the backbone of our food production.

Unfortunately, according to the National Gender Profile of Agriculture and Rural Livelihoods country gender assessment series on Zambia, when it comes to decision making, access to agricultural equipment and technologies; and even extension services, women are not prioritized enough. Furthermore, insufficient monitoring tools have made it difficult to measure the efforts being made to empower women farmers.

The assessment further states that the needs of women under male-headed households are overshadowed by their male partners; and that their “…access to resources remained reliant on their ability to maintain their relationship with the male head of household and to wider kinship networks,” (FAO.2018.pg 18)

As the chant for increased production and productivity continues, it is imperative therefore that more deliberate efforts be made towards the progression of women farmers.

 “Globally, it has been established that if women and men had the same access to productive resources as men, they could increase yields on their farms by 20 – 30 percent. This could raise the total agricultural output for developing countries by 2.5 - 4 percent,” (FAO.)

With further reference to Zambia, the FAO report states that weak and uncoordinated alliances exist between gender work and other agricultural institutions with “…more than 70 percent of women’s groups and entrepreneurs [claiming] that they had little or no support for technology and skills.”

Women have limited access to credit and capacity building, more especially those who live in male-headed households.

“According to a…training evaluation conducted at the Agricultural Knowledge and Training Centre (AKTC) for the year 2018, only 31% of attendees were women, while men’s attendance is at 69%, hence creating an imbalance in terms of the gender mainstreaming agenda,”(www.aktczambia.com ).

During the recently ended Agricultural and Commercial Show that was held in Lusaka, a number of small scale farmers from all the Provinces were awarded for their outstanding performance in agriculture. The women farmers, in particular, expressed gratitude at being recognized given the