In Ghana’s agricultural landscape, women have always been the backbone of food production, yet their voices often remain unheard in decision-making spaces.
This reality is changing, thanks to a growing movement to make agricultural advisory services more inclusive and gender-responsive.
At a recent high-level forum in Koforidua, stakeholders from government, development agencies, academia, and farmer-based organizations gathered under the Gender and Rural Advisory Services (GRAS) initiative to review progress and chart a sustainability roadmap for gender equality in agriculture.
The forum, supported by the PlantwisePlus programme, was not just another meeting—it was a call to action.
Madam Paulina Addy, Director of Women in Agricultural Development (WIAD) Directorate of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, set the tone with a powerful message: “Today, we’ve come together with a shared commitment to strengthen the capacity of agricultural and rural advisory systems to be more inclusive, equitable, and responsive to the diverse needs of all farmers,” she said.
“Gender equality is not just a matter of fairness; it is a catalyst for sustainable and equitable rural transformation.”
She explained that the GRAS initiative is designed to bridge gaps in participation and decision-making, ensuring rural advisory systems work for everyone—not just men.
“It is not about competition; it is about cooperation,” Madam Addy emphasized.
“When we empower a woman farmer, we feed the community. When we mainstream gender in agriculture, we strengthen the nation,” she added.
Hajia Yusufu Habiba, Regional Director of Agriculture for the Eastern Region, reminded participants of the critical role women play in Ghana’s agricultural economy.
“Women constitute nearly 40 percent of the agricultural workforce and are deeply involved in production, value addition, and logistics,” she noted.
“Yet, they face unique challenges that hinder productivity and weaken rural economies.”
From limited access to land and credit to inadequate extension services and cultural barriers, these challenges have long constrained women’s productive potential in agriculture.
Hajia Habiba called for sustained advocacy and policy dialogue to improve women’s access to resources, technology, and markets.
Dr Victor Attuquaye Clottey, Regional Director for CABI West Africa Centre, stressed the need for
concrete action: “We must move beyond discussions to establish governance models and financing mechanisms that guarantee the continuity of this initiative,” he said.
“Our goal is to leave here with a roadmap for transitioning ownership and management of GRAS to a national public institution.”
This sustainability push is critical as the PlantwisePlus programme, which has supported advocacy for gender-sensitive advisory services since 2022, is set to transition in 2026.
Launched in 2022, the GRAS initiative seeks to address these disparities by promoting inclusive, equitable, and gender-responsive rural advisory systems.
It has since become a platform for policy dialogue, joint learning, and innovation in gender-sensitive agricultural extension.
Key achievements highlighted at the forum include: Increased participation of women in agricultural training and digital advisory services; establishment of a gender technical working group involving key MoFA directorates; enhanced access to financial services and land registration support for women farmers; integration of childcare support in extension service delivery as well as use of interactive radio and community dialogues to shift social norms and empower women.
Testimonials from various regions underscored the transformative impact of GRAS interventions on livelihoods, nutrition, and shifting social norms in intervention communities.
A representative from the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection delivered a stirring address:
“Agriculture without women is half a story,” she declared.
“Empowering women farmers is not charity it is a national economic strategy. When women have equal access to resources, yields can increase by up to 30 percent, reducing hunger and driving growth.”
She outlined persistent barriers patriarchal land ownership, limited financial access, low technology adoption, and sociocultural constraints and urged stakeholders to institutionalize gender equality as a permanent pillar of Ghana’s agricultural development.
Dr. Benson Mutuku, Gender Coordinator for CABI Africa, highlighted progress in youth engagement and digital innovation:
“We are not just training; we are creating sustainable income opportunities for youth-led businesses,” he said, citing success stories from Ghana and other African countries.
Digital advisory tools, interactive radio programmes, and community dialogues have helped break barriers, enabling women and youth to access information and participate in decision-making.
The forum concluded with a strong consensus: gender equality in agriculture must move from rhetoric to reality.
Stakeholders endorsed plans to institutionalize GRAS within national structures, scale digital tools for inclusive extension services, strengthen farmer cooperatives to enhance women’s bargaining power, address sociocultural norms that limit women’s participation, and promote financial innovations for women farmers.
Agriculture remains the backbone of Ghana’s economy, and women constitute more than half of its labour force. Yet, without deliberate strategies to close gender gaps, the nation risks undermining its food security and rural development goals.
The GRAS initiative is more than a program it is a movement to ensure that every farmer, regardless of gender, has equal access to knowledge, resources, and opportunities.
