Gender and Agriculture Development Strategy II (GADS II).

This Gender and Agriculture Development Strategy is the second cross-sectoral document of the kind that follows and completes the Gender and Agriculture Development Strategy (GADS I) of 2001. It aims at adopting gender mainstreaming approach to gender equality in the agriculture sector providing guidance to the concerned stakeholders to be more gender-responsive in their programming and interventions. Main goals are (i) provide guidance for integration of gender equality in the implementation of agricultural development policies and programs; (ii) give recognition to the potential that men, women, the youth and Persons Living with Disabilities (PLWDs) have in accelerating agricultural growth and development; (iii) recognize the threat that the HIV/AIDS epidemic poses to the sector; and (iv) highlight the need to obtain gender-disaggregated data for planning programs to meet the diverse needs of the different groups along the Agricultural Value Chain. To achieve the goals, nine strategic objectives have been set out as follows (i) strengthen institutional capacity for Gender-responsive policies, programmes, projects, budgets and monitoring and evaluation within MOFA; (ii) enhance equitable delivery of agricultural services and access to inputs; (iii) enhance access to land, information on land rights and tenure security (iv) develop and disseminate gender-sensitive appropriate technology along the agricultural value chain including climate smart practices; (v) promote gender-responsive agribusiness, value-addition and market access for livelihood and growth in incomes; (vi) promote gender-sensitive research and extension linkages; (vii) promote equal representation and participation in decision-making by women and men at all levels; (viii) harness the potentials of vulnerable farmers for social protection along the Agricultural Value Chain; and (ix) strengthen gender co-ordination among key ministries, civil society, the private sector and development partners.
To help eliminate hunger and food insecurity, the Strategy, in a vision aimed at supporting gender equity, proposes to (i) support increased production of market-led cash and food crops among farmers; and (ii) promote livestock production.
Rural poverty can be faced through (i) supporting the production of selected crops such as soy, cashew and sesame along the value chain; (ii) promoting collaboration between concerned bodies on agro-processing; and (iii) supporting the provision of agro-inputs to rural women and also encouraging their access to productive resources (land, credit, improved technologies, extension services and market).
To enhance more inclusive and efficient agricultural and food systems, the Strategy operates at both representative/institutional and operational level. As for the first level, main interventions shall () guarantee that programs, projects and plans adopt the 40% minimum quota for women; (i) develop provision of an enabling environment and regulatory frameworks that support women’s property rights, labor market participation and share in paid work; (ii) promote increased representation, at least (40%) of women, the youth and PLWDs in all decision-making processes and structures at all levels; and (iii) support women with enhanced knowledge and skills to engage in development and decision-making processes at all levels. On practical level, the Government should work in a gender-oriented way to (i) disseminate information to communities on land rights to women, youth and PLWDs for secure tenure arrangements; (ii) promote innovative credit and insurance schemes, and possibility of access to them, for actors along the agricultural value chain; (iii) promote increased women’s access to appropriate and affordable machinery and equipment; (iv) support women with labor-saving devices to eliminate drudgery and reduce the workload in agricultural activities; (v) support agro-inputs that are affordable and accessible to all producers along the agricultural value chain; (vi) collaborate with traditional authorities and community leaders to promote increased access to productive land and tenure security for small-holder farmers; (vii) increase small-holder farmers' access to improved technologies and information on food and nutrition, food safety, food processing and storage, market access among others to meet their needs along the agricultural value chain; (viii) promote agribusiness activities among farmers to participate in national, regional and international markets; and (ix) build Farmer Based Organizations (FBOs) business capacity for engagement, negotiation and linkage to markets.
To increase the resilience of livelihoods to climate change, the document highlights the importance of promoting awareness on related adaptation and mitigation strategies.