Women Farmers Driving the Transformation

The United Nations has declared 2026 the International Year of the Woman Farmer. It is intended to highlight and honor the indispensable role of women in agriculture. 2026 will also see the Conferences of the Parties (COPs) to the three Rio Conventions (UNFCCC, CBD, UNCCD) on climate, biodiversity and desertification. What challenges do women in agriculture face? How do they defy climate change, droughts, floods and the loss of species? What innovations do they bring to make their farming more sustainable?

Around the world, women farmers are at the forefront of change – yet their voices are rarely heard. This platform shines a light on women farmers driving the transformation of agricultural and food systems across the globe. From Kenya, Uganda, Myanmar, India, and beyond, discover their stories on climate resilience, biodiversity, and the fight against land degradation and desertification.

Women are at the heart of global agrifood systems contributing across every stage, from production and processing to distribution and trade. Despite making up 41 percent of the global agrifood workforce, rural women disproportionately face precarious employment, poor working conditions, and limited rights. The International Year of Women Farmers (IYWF) 2026 puts the spotlight on these essential yet often unrecognized contributions – raising awareness and driving action to close gender gaps and improve livelihoods worldwide. Learn more on the FAO campaign website.

Three women farmers on their field near Mwanza, Tanzania. © GIZ / Fabiana Anabel Woywod

The International Year of the Woman Farmer: Women as Drivers of Change

A Contribution by GIZ

Women produce a significant share of the world’s food and play a decisive role in transforming agrifood systems. The International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026 highlights their contributions as innovators, entrepreneurs, and drivers of climate-resilient and sustainable development.

Women Farmers. Caring for People and Planet

A Contribution by GIZ, FAO WFF Youth Initiative and UN Women

This portrait series tells the stories of 11 women working across food systems – as farmers, leaders, cooperative members, aquaculture workers, and environmental stewards – highlighting their contributions to sustaining land, water, biodiversity, and communities.

Infographic highlights gender inequality in land rights, showing statistics about women's concerns and ownership percentages.

Women Voices from the Field

Stories from practice and from diverse perspectives show how women farmers are driving transformation – whether on biodiversity, climate, or land degradation and desertification.

Sarah with other farmers in the final workshop. © UNYFA / dlv

From "Just a Young Girl" to a Leader

A Story from Uganda

As a young leader in northern Uganda, Sarah Awor had to overcome stereotypes, limited resources, and family resistance. Today, she represents a new generation of women farmers who see agriculture as a space for entrepreneurial and collective transformation.

Leidy Fierro on her coffee plantation in Huila, Colombia. © Santiago Manso

Leidy: Coffee producer who creates opportunities for women and young people

A Story from Colombia

For young women coffee producers like Leidy, collaboration between cooperatives and development projects opens new opportunities along the entire value chain. Through her involvement in the “Notas de juventud” coffee line, she gains not only technical expertise but also greater economic independence and visibility.

Daw Ni Ni Than receiving fish feed for her farm, photo taken, 2023, Myanmar. © Jue Ko Ko Thet

From pond to plate – how aquaculture leverages women empowerment in Myanmar

A Story from Myanmar

In rural Myanmar, aquaculture is a key source of food and income for many households, yet remains highly vulnerable to instability and rising production costs. For women like Daw Ni Ni Than, fish farming is increasingly becoming a pathway from economic dependency towards greater stability and self-determination.

Arrival of SANWFA OCEAN20 panellists and exhibitors. © GIZ

Women as guardians of our ocean

A Story from South Africa

In coastal communities, women are closely connected to the ocean as processors, traders, and holders of local ecological knowledge. Yet their contributions to fisheries and marine governance often remain invisible, despite being essential for the sustainable use and protection of marine resources.

Ahalya Sahu working at her farm smiling, a symbol of resilience. © GIZ

Sowing Seeds of Leadership: Ahalya Sahu’s Journey in Natural Farming

A Story from India

Ahalya Sahu, a farmer from Pondi village in Madhya Pradesh, India, exemplifies the strength and leadership of women in agrifood systems. Though her education ended after eighth grade due to early marriage, she turned experience into expertise, building a successful livelihood through natural farming and becoming a respected community leader.

The Cocoa Farmer Kristina Rampang on her Farm. © Roy Prasetyo

Kristina Rampang: A Mother, A Farmer, A Community leader

A Story from Indonesia

In the remote village of Bobo in Central Sulawesi, Kristina Rampang has grown from a smallholder farmer into a respected cocoa producer and community leader. Through training, collective farming practices, and improved agricultural techniques, she is strengthening not only her own farm but also the role of women in local agriculture.

Mrs. R Chiyabi (left), a COMACO-registered farmer, and one of the women from the cooperative clean some of the harvested soya beans at her homestead — a step towards improved food security and income. © Luke Katemba/GIZ

Cultivating Resilience in Times of Climate Change: Madam Racheal’s Journey in Soy Farming

A Story from Zambia

In Mumbwa District, Madam Racheal Chiyabi has transformed her farm through climate-adapted soy production and agroforestry systems. At the same time, her cooperative’s equal decision-making structures and market access strengthen the economic position of smallholder women farmers.

Haribati Maravi, a Gender Master Trainer, weeding in her kitchen garden. © GIZ Indien CORE

Farming Hopes: Haribati's Journey of Empowerment and Resilience

A Story from India

In rural Madhya Pradesh, Haribati Maravi’s work in self-help groups is reshaping everyday power relations in agriculture and the household. Through training in climate-resilient farming, gender-specific questions, and collective organisation, women farmers are increasingly recognised as decision-makers.

Jemimah Oronoga working on her farm in Kakamega county. © TMG

Her land, her rights: Justice through technology

A Story from Kenya

In Kenya’s Kakamega County, land conflicts are deeply embedded in the lived everyday realities of many women. New digital approaches are helping to address existing inequalities and to strengthen women’s land rights in practice.

Similar Artciles on Food4Transformation

What economic and social barriers prevent women farmers from accessing land, finance, and equal opportunities – and what systemic changes are needed to overcome them? And why is the International Year of Women Farmers 2026 a political opportunity and responsibility for German development cooperation? Find answers to these questions and more in the following related articles.

Women as Change Agents

A transformation of agricultural and food systems is not possible without overcoming structural gender inequalities. In this discussion, Caroline Kayanja (UCOBAC), Dr Eileen Nchanji (CIAT) and Theresa Herbold (Ministry of Development) reflect on the key challenges and solutions – from land access and representation to women-led collectives and innovative technologies.

The Gap the Economy cannot afford

In a study, the international humanitarian agency CARE analyses how the economic and social barriers faced by women significantly reduces the global gross domestic product (GDP). At the current rate, it will take 152 years to close the economic gap between women and men – although closing this gap would be extremely profitable from an economic perspective.

A political opportunity to overcome structural barriers for women farmers

The International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYWF), launched by the United Nations for 2026, is more than a symbolic moment. It is a political opportunity – and responsibility – for German development cooperation. This is what the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) emphasised during Grüne Woche trade fair in Berlin.

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