NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenyan women produce between 60 and 80pc of the country’s food yet control only a fraction of productive resources and earn minimal financial returns from their labour, researchers have warned.
Lucy Wakiaga of the African Population and Health Research Center said women’s outsized role in agriculture has major implications for Kenya’s economy and food security.
“Women are the backbone of food production in Kenya, yet their work is largely informal and unrecognised in the official economy,” Wakiaga said.
Despite producing most of the country’s food, she noted that women hold less than 10pc of land titles independently and receive less than 10pc of agricultural credit, limiting their economic empowerment and decision-making power in farming.
Agriculture remains one of Kenya’s most important sectors, contributing between 22 and 25pc of the country’s Gross Domestic Product and supporting millions of livelihoods across rural areas.
However, much of the labour performed by women occurs in subsistence farming and household food production, activities that are often excluded from formal economic accounting systems.
Experts say this structural imbalance restricts women’s ability to benefit from the sector they sustain.
Without secure land ownership, women farmers often lack the authority to decide what crops to grow, how much to produce or which markets to access. The absence of land title deeds also makes it difficult to obtain loans or invest in modern technologies that could increase agricultural productivity.
Researchers say time poverty further compounds the challenge.
On average, women working in agriculture spend 12.9 hours daily combining farm labour with household and caregiving duties, compared with 8.2 hours for men, significantly limiting opportunities to expand businesses or increase productivity.
Mary Mbithi, a professor involved in the research, said addressing these barriers could significantly boost agricultural output and household incomes.
Studies indicate that closing the gender gap in access to land, credit, and farming technology could increase agricultural yields by 20 to 30 P.c, strengthening food security and rural livelihoods.
“This is not just about fairness. Empowering women farmers is a direct pathway to higher household incomes, improved food security, and stronger national economic resilience,” Mbithi said.
She cited an initiative under the Women’s Economic Empowerment Hub at the University of Nairobi that piloted affordable childcare services for women entrepreneurs and traders.
Over a three-year period, women who accessed the childcare services increased the time spent on their businesses by 12 P.c, while sales rose by 40 P.c and profits grew by 25 P.c, demonstrating how reducing structural barriers can significantly enhance productivity.
Experts at the forum also called for stronger enforcement of legal provisions guaranteeing women equal rights to land ownership and inheritance under the Constitution of Kenya 2010.
They further urged financial institutions to develop gender-responsive credit products and recommended increasing women’s participation in leadership and decision-making within the agricultural sector.
Researchers say unlocking the full economic potential of women farmers will be critical to driving Kenya’s agricultural transformation and strengthening national food security in the years ahead.
