Source: The Herald
GOVERNMENT has pledged to work with women organisations to craft policies to boost agricultural production and productivity among women farmers. This emerged at a Gender Workshop on Women in Land held by Zimbabwe Agricultural Income and Employment Development (Zim-AIED) in conjunction with Agricultural Competitiveness (Zim-ACP) in Harare yesterday.

The workshop noted that there existed a huge gender gap in agriculture, in terms of women's contribution to global economic output and the disparity in their ownership of and access to land, credit and inputs.

In a speech read on his behalf by Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development director-Agricultural Education and Farmer Training, Mr Moffat Nyamangara, the Permanent Secretary Mr Ngoni Masoka, said differences in agricultural yields achieved by men and women existed not because women were less skilled but because they had less access to inputs.

"Women have limited access to improved seeds, fertilisers and equipment.

"Women also continue to receive limited agricultural training and access to credit and markets compared to their male counterparts," said Mr Masoka.

"Government will review existing and potential financing arrangements and mechanism for women economic empowerment in the agricultural sector."

Mr Masoka encouraged women to take up contract farming to increase production and achieve good quality standards and competitiveness based on productivity.

Participants were concerned that women provided 70 percent of agricultural labour but were not in control of the resources or proceeds.

United States ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mr Bruce Wharton said his government recognised the importance of women in agriculture.

He said empowering women had a greater impact on families and communities. When women were empowered it increased their ability to generate income.

"The most effective strategies to empower women who tend farm and family -- and to alleviate hunger in the process -- are to remove the obstacles that hinder women from taking charge of their economic situations," he said.

He said access to finance was a critical issue for rural households, particularly for women.

"There is a need to find practical home-grown solutions for women to access credit, particularly in light of the fact that banks perceive women to be lower credit risk than men."

Women's Development Savings Credit Union director Mrs Spiwe Gudza said it was disturbing that a majority of women failed to access loans although they had the highest rate of repayments.

She said her organisation was working at empowering women through affordable loans by accepting any form of property as collateral.

Other issues that affected women's performance in farming highlighted at the workshop were HIV/Aids, lack of time and poor traditional farming methods.

Representatives from farmers unions, women organisations, farmers, non governmental organisations and Government officials attended the workshop.

• Zimbabwe