Unpacking gender transformation in African food systems: context, barriers, and opportunities

Abstract

The challenges of global food systems are highly linked to issues of gender equality, as women are key actors in many spheres of the food system. Thus, there is a consensus that for a transformation of the food system to be successful, a gender transformation is also required. The objective of this paper was to identify how local women and men perceive challenges and barriers to gender transformations in food systems and what solutions they propose. We conducted focus group discussions with men and women engaged in the food system in four Sub-Saharan countries: Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, and Zambia. We then used established dimensions of gender and food systems, and a set of determinants for gender transformation rooted in science and development practice to conduct thematic analysis of the discussions. The results revealed a high level of awareness about gender-related constraints among local stakeholders. Several normative sanctions that limit gender transformation were identified, and accordingly, many of the proposed solutions were targeted at these deep-seated norms that surpassed the traditional boundaries of food system interventions. This shows how intertwined food system and gender roles and interventions are.