Analytic overview, 2018: opportunities for strengthening gender and social equity in Ethiopia’s wheat sector

Abstract

Agriculture makes up 35.8 percent of Ethiopia’s GDP and employs 72.7 percent of its 102 million people, yet agriculture is unmechanized and the country relies heavily on food imports. Gender inequality contributes to low agricultural productivity but remains under researched. The failure to recognize the roles, differences and inequities between men and women poses a serious threat to the effectiveness of Ethiopia’s agricultural development agenda, according to the World Bank. Despite strong GDP growth of 8 to 11 percent annually, depending on drought, Ethiopia is still a poor country with a per capita income of $783.3 Food insecurity is a defining characteristic of poverty, with up to 10 million people in the country dependent on humanitarian assistance. Food insecurity, low agricultural productivity and gender inequality are government priorities. This report covers gender inequality in Ethiopia’s agricultural sector and looks specifically at wheat. It outlines how an insufficient focus on the barriers women face continues to have a significant impact on the nation’s agricultural productivity, economic growth and food security. Moreover, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) signed by the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) and other member states have a number of gender and food security indicators, such as “zero hunger.” All of them aim to “leave no one behind” and deliver more equitable development outcomes. This analytic overview provides agricultural development partners with a synthesis of the research and policy environment necessary to improve agricultural productivity and address food insecurity for more of Ethiopia’s citizens using a gender-sensitive and inclusive approach.