Women development in agriculture as agency for fostering innovative agricultural financing in Nigeria

Abstract

The significant contribution of women in agricultural development cannot be overemphasised. Women farmers are commonly side-lined and their  efforts under-valued in conventional agricultural and economic evaluations despite the substantial impact they have made in the sector. Globally,  women’s contributions to the agricultural sector have been appraised as the world’s major producers and organisers of food crops where half of the  world’s foods have been grown by them. In Africa, Nigeria included, women dominate and play major roles in producing subsistence crops and  livestock. Their contribution to agriculture is estimated to be 65% in Nigeria. However, their contributions are undermined largely because women  are often economically marginalised. Though women are food producers for most of the households in rural areas, their marginalisation has been  historical. Factors hindering women from accessing agricultural financing include patriarchy, an unfavourable land tenure system that deprives  women of access to collateral security in accessing bank loans and the vagueness of women’s limited self-agency. Anchored in patriarchal and  liberal feminism theories, this study examines how Nigerian women are marginalised in selected spheres of agrarian livelihoods in the south-  eastern parts of Nigeria. South-East Nigerian women farmers participate fully in all key stages of farming activities such as production, processing  and marketing of food crops. The Igbo men cultivate mainly cash crops. Similarly, in the Northern parts of Nigeria, women are only allowed to  participate in certain stages of cash crop growing but they are fully allowed to engage in subsistence farming as they are relegated to home front  activities. Patriarchy limits women's access and control over land resources in all forms. Patriarchal and liberal feminism denoted that the actions  and ideas of male farmers dominant over those of women has prevented female farmers the autonomy and freedom to become rational beings.  This paper recommends mainstreaming of gender in the design, implementation and monitoring of agricultural policies and programmes for  inclusive financing for food security and sustainable development.