Stakeholders seek review of gender policy in agriculture

Advocate 30% agric budget for smallholder women farmers

Advocates of women’s rights have called for a review of the National Gender Policy in agriculture to address gaps, such as grassroots driven climate action for rural women, among others.
 
At an event organised by the International Centre for Environmental Health and Development (ICEHD), in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, tagged ‘Economic Resilience and Climate Justice Project for Rural Women Farmers in Nigeria’, at the weekend in Abuja, the advocates said the review was needed to ensure the policy was gender-responsive to climate action in agriculture as it would affect women, who make up more than 50 per cent of the entire agriculture workforce.
 
Consulting Partner ICEHD and Country Manager, Rose of Sharon Foundation, (ROSF), Dr Ndudi Bowei, said that the aim was to enable smallholder women farmers across Nigeria access climate finance and also have a dedicated budget line from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security as well as entrenching sustainable adaptation methods used by the farmers.

Bowei, who is also the Deputy Chair, Africa Climate Justice Movement, said: “This is a project that is tailored towards looking at how smallholder women farmers across Nigeria across Nigeria can have access to climate finance and also have agriculture budgeting from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security budgets specific, at least 30 per cent or over for women in agriculture.”