• Women farmers play a fundamental role in agri-food systems, yet they are disadvantaged in terms of access to assets and services compared to men.
• To raise awareness of gender equality and female empowerment in the sector, the FAO has dedicated 2026 to women in agriculture.
• The goal is to promote actions and policies to close the gap: bridging it could increase global GDP by one trillion dollars.

2026 has been proclaimed by the FAO as the International Year of Women in Agriculture with the aim of raising awareness of their role in agri-food systems and of promoting gender equality and female empowerment in the sector through the adoption of effective policies and actions against the obstacles and challenges that women face.

The fundamental role of women farmers, who face discrimination compared to men

Women farmers are indeed essential for the contribution they make to food security, nutrition and the eradication of poverty; through their work they ensure the economic survival of their families and of rural and national economies. However, the FAO report "The Status of Women in Agrifood Systems" from 2023 finds that, despite representing 41 per cent of the global agricultural workforce, women face significant discrimination, encountering difficulties in accessing land ownership and livestock, quality and secure employment, fair pay, participation in decision-making processes, credit and financial services.

Women farmers generally work on smaller plots of land than men. And even when they manage farms of the same size, the gender gap in land productivity stands at 24 per cent. Women employed in waged work in agri-food systems earn 78 cents for every dollar earned by men.

A climate-related disadvantage too

Another FAO report from 2024, "The Unjust Climate", also reveals a "climate disadvantage" for women in agriculture. Drawing on data from 24 countries across five regions of the world, the report integrates socioeconomic indicators with georeferenced climate data, offering insights into how climate stress factors affect the incomes, labour allocation and adaptation strategies of rural populations, with particular attention to vulnerable groups such as women, youth and people living in poverty.

It is noted, for example, that each day of extremely high temperatures reduces the total value of crops produced by women farmers by 3 per cent compared to that of men. Furthermore, a 1°C increase in long-term average temperatures is associated with a 34 per cent reduction in the total household income of female-headed households, compared to that of male-headed households.

The benefits of gender equality for women in agriculture

According to FAO data, closing the gender gap in agriculture could increase global GDP by one trillion dollars and reduce food insecurity for 45 million people. Furthermore, reducing gender disparities in employment, education and income could eliminate 52 per cent of the food insecurity gap, which is consistently higher among women.
Empowering rural women through targeted development interventions could increase the income of 58 million more people and strengthen the resilience of 235 million people.