Specific actions in favour of gender equality, designed to close gender gaps, are integrated into all components of the programme. West African countries are slowly narrowing the gender gaps that affect food insecurity, poverty, and the adoption of improved agricultural practices by women farmers, but persistent gaps remain in land and equipment ownership and access to labour, quality inputs, finance and markets. The actions planned under the FSRP aim to consolidate and extend the progress made to date, while addressing the barriers that still limit the contribution of women farmers to sustainable livelihoods and good nutrition in their communities.

The programme can be used to address the gender gaps identified in the region by: (i) targeting women beneficiaries as recipients of digital extension services and as candidates for the adoption of integrated pest management technologies to improve productivity; (ii) establishing scholarships for female Masters and PhD students to bridge knowledge and opportunity gaps ; (iii) offering targeted capacity-building events for women, developing dedicated tools to encourage the adoption of ICTs by women for e-learning, and finding ways to provide information to women farmers who do not have access to the Internet; (iv) developing technologies for agricultural intensification and land preparation; (v) supporting women’s access to markets by mobilising their participation in fairs and training, and supporting women’s cooperatives in strategically important value chains; and (vi) improving women farmers’ production through improved certification and marketing services, among others.

Gender gaps in access to assets and services significantly affect the productivity and marketing of women farmers. The FSRP will place particular emphasis on improving women’s access to irrigation goods and services in order to increase productivity, as well as their access to goods and services that support marketing.

The programme will also pursue actions to increase women’s access to information and opportunities: (i) women-focused awareness-raising and information activities on market, investment and employment opportunities; (ii) targeted support and technical assistance measures for women entrepreneurs (in the SME sector, for example), women-led groups (WGOs) and women producers, including training in hard and soft skills (business plan development, mentoring, network support for market access, leadership training, etc.); and (iii) subsidised access to inputs; (iv) provision of newly rehabilitated land equipped with irrigation; and (v) forms of positive discrimination in the eligibility criteria and selection process for matching grants, and co-financing of grants benefiting women entrepreneurs (MSMEs), women-led groups (CSOs) and women producers. Other actions in specific countries are listed in the Gender Action Plan.