The Ministry of Food and Agriculture, through its Women in Agricultural Development Directorate, in collaboration with the Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International, has held a multistakeholder forum in Koforidua. The forum aimed to promote equitable access to agricultural extension and advisory services, particularly for women farmers. The event, which took place from September 23 to 25, 2026, brought together stakeholders to review and strengthen the Gender and Rural Advisory Services Assessment Report.
Women constitute about 52 per cent of Ghana's agricultural labour force, yet only a small proportion have access to extension and advisory services. The disparity is attributed to long-standing social norms and traditional practices that limit women's access to critical agricultural services. This affects their productivity and livelihoods. The forum sought to chart a sustainable path towards improving women farmers' access to agricultural extension and advisory services.
The Gender and Rural Advisory Services initiative emerged from the CABI Plantwise programme, which identified gender disparities in farmers' access to agricultural advisory services. An assessment of the programme revealed that women were significantly underrepresented among farmers benefiting from advisory services. This led to the establishment of the forum in 2022 to address the challenges and shortcomings of previous programmes.
The forum serves as a platform for advocacy and collective action to address challenges within the agricultural advisory services delivery system. It has identified three key areas requiring attention: policy implementation, the underrepresentation of women in service delivery, and the use of Information and Communication Technologies to provide more equitable extension services. Leveraging ICT could help overcome traditional barriers preventing women from accessing agricultural advisory services.
The forum aims to secure national ownership and sustainability of the Gender and Rural Advisory Services initiative as CABI winds down its funding and leadership role. The Ministry of Food and Agriculture's Women in Agricultural Development Directorate will serve as the institutional anchor for the initiative. Stakeholders are expected to integrate the initiative's priorities into their plans and budgets.
The Director of the Women in Agricultural Development Directorate, Peter Aboagye, acknowledged the commitment and contributions of institutions and individuals that have supported the initiative since its inception. He emphasized the need for stakeholders to consolidate progress made since 2022 and build a sustainable platform for continued action. The initiative aims to ensure that agricultural and rural advisory services respond effectively to the different needs of women and men across Ghana.
The transformation of Ghana's agricultural sector requires an advisory system that reaches farmers with the right information at the right time. Such a system must recognize the different realities of women and men, young people, and persons with disabilities. The Ministry of Food and Agriculture assured the forum of its continued commitment to working with stakeholders to advance the Gender and Rural Advisory Services agenda.
Key points
- The forum aims to promote equitable access to agricultural extension and advisory services for women farmers.
- The initiative seeks to address the underrepresentation of women in agricultural advisory services.
- The forum aims to secure national ownership and sustainability of the Gender and Rural Advisory Services initiative.
