Mainstreaming Gender Equity for Agriculture Ventures: A Case Study

Women make up at least half of the agricultural sector worldwide, yet they face gender constraints that reduce their productivity and restrict their contributions to agricultural production. For example, restrictions on women’s control of land, limits on their access to credit, and education gaps between women and men all further the gender gap manifest across the agriculture sector. This paper examines the successes and failures of the GRO Greenhouses venture in promoting gender equity within the agricultural sector in Sub-Saharan Africa. 20 women engaged in greenhouse farming through cooperatives and educational institutions across Sierra Leone were interviewed to more accurately gauge the specific challenges facing women. In particular, this paper explores the experience of women in agriculture who have adopted agricultural technology, and it aims to document their successes and challenges. The success of GRO’s gender mainstreaming strategies and lessons learned can translate into larger recommendations that can be integrated into new agriculture ventures across the developing world.