How climate-smart agric is empowering women farmers

CAREFULLY watering her crops, Elizabeth Dube, a 73-year-old smallholder farmer from Matebeleland South province, is reflective. In the past, she said she could not own land or sell farm produce at the market. These were liberties enjoyed only by their male counterparts.

With limited opportunities and without financial independence, life was challenging. It became even more so when her children moved to neighbouring South Africa in search of greener pastures.

At an age when many might consider retirement, Elizabeth had become the cornerstone of her family, raising eight grandchildren and searching for a means to support them.

“My four children moved out of my home and left with me with eight grandchildren to care for. The oldest is 15 and the youngest is three years old,” she says.

Today, however, Dube owns a small piece of land. As of last year, she has access to a solar-powered irrigation water — a crucial asset in a drought-prone region becoming increasingly dry due to climate change.

Today, with income from the sale of cabbages, onions, maize and wheat that she grows on her land, she now has the means to send her grandchildren to school and to put food on the table.

Women at forefront of national economy

In Zimbabwe, where agriculture employs almost three-quarters of the population, women are the backbone of the sector constituting around 70% of household labour in rural communities.

They are also the linchpin of homes, heading more than 40% of households in rural areas.

Despite this, women across Zimbabwe remain marginalised in both social and economic spheres. Particularly in rural areas, women’s access to land is almost entirely determined by men.

Patriarchal norms prevent women from accumulating assets and productive resources, limiting their ability to offer assets as collateral and so limiting access to credit and loans.

Gender differences in property rights, access to information and cultural, social and economic roles make women particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

For example, recurring drought and low rainfall negatively impact water supplies and fuel wood accessibility, which increases the distances women need to travel to secure such resources. Women also remain marginalised in terms of adaptation strategies to cope with climate change impacts, especially limited access to irrigation systems.

Challenging gender divide

The leading role of women on farms and in rural communities is reflected in a transformative government-led project in southern Zimbabwe now underway with the backing of the Green Climate Fund and UN Development Programme (UNDP).

At the heart of the project — aimed at helping farmers move from basic farming for survival to farming that can withstand climate challenges and sell products in markets — is the recognition that women are more than just a vulnerable group in need of support, but are in fact agents of change.

With this wisdom, the project has been equipping women farmers with the tools they need to prosper.

One component is infrastructure, specifically, solar-powered irrigation systems. These systems, 21 of which are being installed under the project, are key to ensuring a sufficient, reliable source of water for crops, but also for household use.

“I do not have to walk long distances to look for water after school anymore,” said Samantha Dube from Masholomoshe, where an irrigation system was installed in September 2023.

“Now I can focus on my homework and wash my uniform at home instead of the river.”

Since her husband fled to South Africa nearly two years ago, Banele Ncube (37) has been taking care of their three children alone.

Like Elizabeth, whose land is opposite, she depends on the new irrigation scheme.

Banele notes: “Before the irrigation scheme was installed, our major challenge was lack of water. I would wake up very early to water my crops, but sometimes the taps and hosepipes would not be enough for all of us. At times, I ended up going home without and would have to come back even earlier the following day.”

She hopes its capacity will be increased. Another component is knowledge — of climate-smart water management and conservation agriculture, as well as how to adapt production practices to cope with increasing rainfall variability and dry spells.