In 2026, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), together with global partners, launched the International Year of the Woman Farmer to recognise women’s indispensable contributions to agrifood systems and accelerate action to close persistent gender gaps. Around the world, women make up a significant share of the agricultural workforce, yet their work remains undervalued and under-resourced. Many continue to face cultural, institutional, and legal barriers, including limited access to land ownership, finance, innovation, and decision-making. Despite their central role in agrifood systems, rural women also remain constrained by deep‑seated social barriers especially limited literacy, resulting in a persistent and systemic exclusion from innovation and technology. Securing women’s land tenure and inheritance rights is essential to enabling them to invest confidently, increase productivity, and build long-term resilience. On this International Women’s Day, we are reminded that promoting gender equality is not only a matter of justice, but also a strategic imperative for Rwanda’s food security and economic transformation. Women form the backbone of Rwanda’s agriculture sector, making them indispensable to economic development and key champions of social inclusion and social equilibrium. They drive food production, sustain household nutrition, and increasingly lead cooperative and agribusiness ventures. Yet many continue to face structural obstacles that restrict their full potential. Through direct engagement with farming communities and close collaboration with the government of Rwanda and development partners, FAO champions the transformative power of rural women’s empowerment. The organisation remains committed to dismantling entrenched barriers and advancing inclusive innovation as a cornerstone of sustainable food systems transformation and long-term national development. Under the Joint Programme on Rural Women’s Economic Empowerment (JP RWEE), FAO supports farmers in five districts: Nyaruguru, Gisagara, Nyamasheke, Kirehe, and Ngoma. The joint programme has reached 7,797 rural farmers (81 percent of them women) equipping them with skills in climate-smart agriculture, post-harvest handling, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship. In total, approximately 9,000 women are expected to benefit from FAO-supported interventions, helping narrow rural gender gaps while addressing the disproportionate burden of unpaid care work that limits women’s time for productive and leadership roles. FAO has established 152 Farmer Field Schools across these districts, providing hands-on training in climate-resilient agriculture, improved production techniques, and sustainable natural resource management. In Gisagara District, a community selling point was established to serve 120 registered vendors including 20 women and 10 youth, enhancing market access and household incomes while strengthening women’s leadership within cooperatives, markets, and households. Women are also driving remarkable progress in livestock-based livelihoods, strengthening incomes and household nutrition. FAO Rwanda has provided financial and technical support to eight operational poultry model farms in Ruhango, Nyaruguru, Nyamasheke, and Ngororero districts. Through the Hand in Hand Initiative (HiH) demonstrates how women-led agri‑entrepreneurship can economically transform entire communities. These women-led enterprises mainly model poultry farms were designed to boost household incomes and expand access to nutrient-rich foods such as eggs and poultry meat, contributing to the fight against malnutrition, particularly among children and vulnerable families. Women make up 74 per cent of the 348 members managing these model poultry farms, ensuring a reliable supply of affordable protein (eggs and poultry meat) for preventing nutrient deficiencies and supporting child growth, while strengthening local food systems. Early results show improved incomes, enhanced dietary diversity, and greater financial autonomy among participating women farmers. The initiatives have reached 26,901 direct and indirect beneficiaries, improved family nutrition and fostering community solidarity. The required support to address the prevailing gender gaps to unlock women farmers’ full potential Despite this progress, women farmers still face greater exposure to climate risks. Closing the prevailing gender gaps requires tailored financial products, digital services, inclusive rural finance systems, and supportive policy reforms. Without sustained and targeted investment, inequalities could slow Rwanda’s progress toward resilient and sustainable agrifood systems. A system-wide approach is urgently needed; an approach that galvanises the sustained commitment from all stakeholders, including government institutions, development partners, the private sector, media, financial institutions and community leaders. Efforts must accelerate investments that place women farmers at the center of agricultural transformation by expanding access to climate-smart technologies, strengthening women-led cooperatives, improving financial inclusion, and ensuring women’s voices are represented in policy processes. As we honour the International Year of the Woman Farmer, this is the time for bold and transformative investment in rural women who are the backbone of the food systems and the driving force behind the nation’s nourishment and resilience. Advancing women farmers’ empowerment directly contributes to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Zero Hunger and Gender Equality. A food-secure, prosperous, and resilient Rwanda depends on unlocking the full potential of women farmers. On this International Women’s Day, we honour their invaluable contributions to our food systems and celebrate their leadership in driving resilience and transformation. We also call on all partners, including the private sector, to turn commitments into action. Together, we must support women farmers, build inclusive value chains, and expand their access to formal markets and responsible investments. With the right tools, resources, and opportunities, Rwanda’s women farmers can drive the transformation of agrifood systems. FAO remains committed to advancing sustainable and inclusive food systems for generations to come through Better Production, Better Nutrition, Better Environment, and a Better Life, leaving no one behind. The author is FAO Representative in Rwanda
