IYWF: How Manal became a trusted voice for farmers in Beheira

16/03/2026

The International Year of the Woman Farmer (2026) presents a timely opportunity to highlight the critical role women play in advancing sustainable agriculture, strengthening rural livelihoods, and building resilience to climate change. Across Egypt, women farmers contribute significantly to agricultural production and natural resource management, yet their leadership and achievements often go underrecognized.

In this context, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa (RNE) is spotlighting stories that demonstrate real and measurable impact at the community level - stories showing how access to knowledge, inclusive agricultural systems, and climate-smart practices can empower women to become agents of change. Among these inspiring examples is the story of Manal El Qadi, a farmer from Beheira Governorate.

Manal’s journey illustrates how targeted capacity development through farmer field schools (FFSs) can help women overcome personal and environmental challenges, strengthen agricultural productivity, and foster knowledge sharing within their communities. Her story reflects the broader potential of empowering women farmers to drive resilient and inclusive agricultural transformation in Egypt.

Turning hardship into leadership

In Edco, Beheira Governorate - part of Egypt’s Nile Delta - lives Manal El Qadi, a dedicated farmer whose determination has inspired her entire community. When Manal lost her husband, the responsibilities she had long carried out, for her children, household, and farm, became more visible and far more precarious. As she assumed full decision-making over the land amid intensifying climate pressures and limited access to services and resources, the burden grew increasingly overwhelming.

 Without hesitation, Manal became one of the very first women in her village to join the FFS. Driven by a strong commitment to sustain her family’s livelihood and to honor the effort her late husband had invested in the land, she was eager to learn and adopt new approaches that could restore productivity to her fields. Mana started participating in the FAO Egypt–supported Farmer Field Schools, implemented under the project ‘Promoting climate-smart agriculture and agricultural biodiversity for enhancing adaptive capacity of vulnerable rural communities in Upper and Lower Egypt’. This project is funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and carried out in close collaboration with national and local partners. Through her participation at FFS, Manal strengthened her cotton cultivation by adopting improved planting dates, safer pest management methods, and more water-efficient irrigation techniques.

These changes resulted in stronger crop performance and tangible economic benefits for her family. Her enhanced knowledge - from irrigation to cultivation techniques and proper seed use - also contributed to higher productivity among neighboring farmers who began replicating her practices.

“I started to love the land and give it my all,” Manal says, reflecting on her Farmer Field School experience.

Changing norms and inspiring communities

With her leadership and dedication, Manal began encouraging other women in her village to learn and apply improved farming techniques. Her growing confidence, her continuous communication with the community, and her visible results did not go unnoticed.

Male farmers in Beheira, inspired by her achievements, encouraged their wives and daughters to join the Farmer Field Schools as well. As a result, women now represent between 29 and 32 percent of FFS participants in the project. Further, this has led to building skills in sustainable agriculture and community leadership for women.

“I was encouraged to send my wife to the Farmer Field School after seeing Manal’s success. Now almost all women work with us in the fields,” says Haj Abdelgawad, a farmer from Beheira.

A trusted voice for farmers

Today, Manal is not only managing her own farm, but also making an impact far beyond it. She has become a trusted source of knowledge in her community, advising neighbors and supporting farmers facing similar challenges. Her journey demonstrates how targeted technical support and inclusive learning approaches can empower women farmers to deliver economic, social, and environmental benefits at the community level.

Manal’s story is a powerful reminder of why the United Nations declared 2026 the International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYWF 2026), a year dedicated to recognizing the essential roles women play across agrifood systems, from production to trade, despite the limited visibility their contributions often receive.

Women farmers like Manal are central to advancing food security, improving nutrition, and strengthening economic resilience, both in Egypt and around the world.