In Angola around 80 percent of farmers are smallholders, so the agriculture sector still represents an important source of income, employment and food for a large part of the production.

Women constitute the majority of the labour force in agriculture and are critical agents of change in the fight against rural poverty, hunger and malnutrition. In Angola, 4.8 million women live in rural areas and the 38.3 percent of the country’s women have agriculture as their main activity. However, inequalities in access to land, agricultural inputs, training and knowledge limit their contribution to agricultural productivity and economic development. At community level, women have low participation in decision-making. Angola has made consistent efforts to address existing gender inequalities in the agriculture and labour sectors, given the important role that women play in agriculture and the country’s food systems. Although gender mainstreaming in agriculture and rural development sectors is in its early stages, in recent years, progress has been made to benefit women more consistently. This assessment revealed that gender inequalities remain widespread and particularly evident in rural areas, despite the progress made in establishing a legal and policy framework for advancing women’s rights and gender equality.