Photos: © Mint Glint Media | 2025

Nairobi recently played host to the transformative Together: Strengthening Women’s Voices for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems conference. This pivotal event was organized by GIZ, on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), with support from the SNRD GTA Working Group. Over three days, from February 18 to 20, 2025, the conference aimed to dismantle the systemic barriers faced by women and marginalized groups in agriculture and food systems.

Women have long been essential to agricultural productivity, yet they continue to encounter significant obstacles, including limited access to resources, education, and decision-making power. Bridging the gender gap is not only a matter of equity but also a strategic imperative that can enhance food security and drive economic growth.

The conference centered on the different challenges that impede women’s and marginalized groups’ participation in policy and decision-making processes. While the primary focus was on Africa, the discussions embraced a global perspective, employing an intersectional approach to tackle various dimensions of discrimination.

Key objectives included:

• Strategic Approaches: Participants shared, discussed, and co-created strategies to enhance the participation and representation of women and marginalized groups in agriculture and food systems.
• Alliance Building: The event fostered the creation of alliances among stakeholders from civil society, practice, academia, and policy.

The conference gathered around 80 participants s from civil society, practice, research, and policy experienced in gender equality and women’s empowerment in agriculture.  The program, crafted with significant input from civil society, featured experienced moderators and interactive sessions, utilizing storytelling to amplify the voices of local women.

This conference represented a significant stride towards achieving gender-equitable and sustainable agriculture and food systems, by empowering women and ensuring their voices are heard in decision-making processes.

In addition to supporting the drafting of the concept note and direction of the conference, the Gender-Transformative Approaches (GTA) Working Group organized two impactful workshop sessions focused on advancing equality in agriculture and food systems. The sessions, titled Next-Gen Leaders: Empowering Youth for the Future of Agriculture and Food Systems and Bridging the Gap: Engaging Men as Allies for Women’s Empowerment in Thriving Agriculture and Food Systems, addressed crucial themes of youth leadership and male allyship. Following the conference, the working group dedicated an additional day to convene an in-person meeting for 10 of its members, fostering deeper collaboration and strategic planning.”