Empowering Rural Women for Sustainable Agricultural Growth - GCP/SEC/018/TUR

Abstract

Across Europe and Central Asia, rural women are disproportionately represented in lower-paid and informal roles within the agricultural sector, often earning between 60 and 85 percent of what men receive for comparable work. Additionally, women hold ownership of fewer than 10 percent of registered agricultural enterprises. A similar gender gap exists in access to extension services, with women having significantly fewer opportunities to benefit from agricultural knowledge, resources and technologies. These disparities underscore the need to enhance support systems and create more inclusive opportunities, promoting greater economic empowerment and equality for rural women in agriculture. This project, funded under the FAO-Turkey Partnership Programme (FTPP) II and primarily implemented in Türkiye, with pilot activities in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and broader regional engagement, aimed to enhance the socio-economic status of rural women by supporting gender-responsive agricultural and forestry policies and creating sustainable economic opportunities. It contributed to strengthening rural economies by promoting a more gender-responsive and socially inclusive policy environment and by equipping women with the technical knowledge and skills necessary to participate in key agricultural and forestry value chains.