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Gender-inclusive toolkit for financial institutions in sub-Saharan Africa

Making the African Continental Free Trade Area work for women












FAO & ITC. 2025. Gender-inclusive toolkit for financial institutions in sub-Saharan Africa – Making the African Continental Free Trade Area work for women. Rome, FAO and Geneva, Switzerland.




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    Book (stand-alone)
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    Digital agriculture in FAO projects in sub-Saharan Africa 2024
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    The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is spearheading efforts to leverage digitalization for sustainable agrifood systems. This publication provides a roadmap for accelerating the adoption of impactful digital solutions across the Africa region.With Wageningen University and Research (WUR), the publication offers an in-depth exploration of the current landscape of FAO’s digital agriculture interventions across sub-Saharan Africa, dissecting key projects and their impact on crop production, risk reduction, and value chain enhancement.Through an extensive survey and analysis of 72 projects spanning various agricultural subsectors, the publication sheds light on the prevalence of digital tools in enhancing crop production and livestock management, and on the disparities in digital adoption across different subregions.The publication underscores the critical role of digital literacy and infrastructure in driving the success of digital agriculture initiatives, emphasizing the imperative of inclusivity. It also highlights the need for fostering awareness, building capacity, and advocating for improved digital access and governance to unlock the full potential of digital solutions for Africa.Among the key findings are the predominant use of simpler digital technologies such as mobile applications and SMS services, signalling the importance of user-friendly solutions tailored to the needs of farmers. However, it also underscores the necessity of embracing more advanced technologies to address complex challenges such as climate resilience and supply chain management.
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    Policy brief
    Policy brief
    Facilitating gender responsive access to finance in the agrifood sector in sub-Saharan Africa
    Making the African Continental Free Trade Area work for women: Policy brief
    2024
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    This policy brief focuses on promoting gender-responsive access to finance for women in the agrifood sector in Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly within the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). It highlights the critical contributions of women to agrifood systems, while also discussing the substantial challanges and barriers they face to accessing finance due to persistent gender-based constraints and structural inequalities. These include discriminatory social norms, limited opportunities for business development, and restricted ownership of property and assets. These obstacles are compounded by a lack of gender-responsive financial products and services. Formal banking institutions and products often de facto exclude women since they are unable to provide collateral, forcing many to rely on personal capital and informal savings schemes, which severely limits their business growth and potential.The brief proposes several solutions to address these barriers, emphasizing the importance of enhancing financial literacy among women and promoting formal microfinance and rural banking. It suggests implementing guarantee and insurance schemes tailored to the needs of women-led businesses and developing financial products and services that are responsive to gender-specific challenges. Additionally, the brief underscores the necessity of gender-responsive policy reforms and the engagement of multiple stakeholders to ensure inclusive financial inclusion.Furthermore, the policy brief advocates for increased representation of women in decision-making roles and the enforcement of anti-discrimination laws within the financial industry. It also calls for measures to ensure women's land and property ownership rights, recognizing that secure land tenure is crucial for their economic empowerment. By implementing these recommendations, the brief argues that bridging the financial gap for women in agribusiness can significantly enhance productivity, economic growth, and food security across Africa.
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    Booklet
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    The status of women in agrifood systems in sub-Saharan Africa
    Overview
    2025
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    Building on the momentum generated by FAO’s 2023 Status of Women in Agrifood Systems global report, this report provides a comprehensive analysis of the status of women in agrifood systems in sub-Saharan Africa, highlighting their vital yet often undervalued roles. It explores how gender inequality intersects with climate change, environmental degradation, and socio-economic factors to impact women’s livelihoods, food security, and access to natural resources. Drawing on African-led research and stakeholder consultations, the report identifies persistent barriers and showcases transformative opportunities for gender equality. Key themes include women’s work, food security and nutrition, natural resource rights, climate impacts, innovation, and women’s agency and collective action. It emphasizes the need for gender-transformative policies, improved data, and inclusive governance to foster resilient, equitable, and sustainable agrifood systems. The overview distills the main messages and recommendations.

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