FAO, Japan seek to empower women and youth in agriculture

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Subregional Office for Eastern Africa (SFE) and the Japanese Government Mission to the African Union officially launched a subregional project, aiming at fostering employment among women and youth in agriculture and agribusiness in six Eastern Africa countries.

The project, Promoting Employment and Entrepreneurship Opportunities among Women and Youth in Agriculture and Agribusiness in Eastern Africa, is being implemented in Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan and Uganda. It is set to facilitate and ensure enhanced knowledge and application of digital solutions in agri-food systems with a particular focus on women and youth. It is also strengthening human and institutional capacities, while providing agripreneurs with the opportunities to access finance for agri-food systems development.

During the virtual launch event, David Phiri, FAO Subregional Coordinator for Eastern Africa and Representative to the AU and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), recalled that the Eastern Africa subregion was home to 50 percent of the highly food insecure population of the whole of Africa and, hence, aiding this subregion meant supporting the whole of Africa.

He further noted that the subregion was experiencing stress due to multiple shocks, such as desert locust infestation, climate-induced shocks, conflicts and political instability, and socio-economic strains. The COVID-19 pandemic posed additional risks, which significantly compromised the livelihoods of millions of people, particularly the youth and women. To alleviate this challenge, FAO, in collaboration with development partners, was engaged in several interventions, supporting decent employment, agripreneurship and resilience building for youth and women in the agriculture sector.

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