Agriculture is the backbone of the African economy, regardless of a surplus or deficiency of oil or other precious minerals in specific regions.
For the West African nation of The Gambia, agriculture is a particularly valuable economic driver.
Agriculture is the principal source of livelihood for the rural population and the majority of households below the poverty line. It employs approximately 70% of its people.
While it is not surprising that this country depends on its 50% arable land for wealth generation, it might be a surprise that women play the most important role in sustaining the sector.
Below are 5 interesting facts you need to know about the culture of women-farming in the Gambia.
Female dominance: Most of the farmers in the Gambia are female. In 2021, the SDG Knowledge Hub (an online resource center for news and commentary regarding the implementation of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).) reported that 70% of the agricultural workforce in the Gambia are women.
Economic discrepancy: Even though women produce the most labor in the agricultural sector, at 70%, this statistic hardly tells the entire story. Women in the country are often relegated to growing lower-value subsistence crops as opposed to men who commonly manage cash crops. Women in the Gambia typically do not own the lands they work in, and as a result, struggle to access finance to grow their agricultural businesses.
Cotton revitalization: With a growing demand for organic cotton, the first female-owned organic cotton farm in the country was established last year. The enterprise was the initiative of Elsie A. Williams, a young Gambian entrepreneur, and advocate for female empowerment who wishes to elevate female farmers in the country. Her cotton farm is run by an almost all-female staff.
Rice production: Asides from pump-irrigated rice, traditional lowland swamp or river-bank rice are cultivated by women. In some communities in the Gambia, women are the principal rice growers, as rice is culturally considered the responsibility of women.
Horticulture: In the last decade over 6000 Gambian women have pivoted to horticulture. The goal of this is to cultivate more profitable crops and so far these women have delved into the cultivation of high-value crops like chill pepper and okra. However, this number is still not enough to offset the financial discrepancy between men and women in the sector.
