Over 200 million households in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)
depend on maize for food security and their well-being, yet maize yields in
this region are very low compared to other parts of the world. Maize farmers
face drought and other climate stresses, emerging pests and diseases, low soil
fertility. The slow adoption of new stress tolerant varieties means farmers are
unable to reach their yield potential.
The Stress Tolerant Maize for Africa (STMA) project funded
by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID) aims to develop in a cost-effective way
multiple stress tolerant varieties, and through partnerships with local public
and private seed sector, make these improved seeds available at scale in SSA.
Women have
the potential to be drivers of agricultural transformation in Africa, holding
the key to improving their families’ livelihoods and food security. However, such constraints as lack of access to initial
capital, machinery, reliable markets, and knowledge and training are difficult
to overcome, leading to restricted participation by women and young people in
agricultural systems in Africa.
A new video from the Sustainable Intensification of Maize-Legume Systems for Food Security in Eastern and Southern Africa (SIMLESA) project highlights the importance of gender equity and social inclusion to achieving project impacts and outcomes, helping to drive transformative change towards securing a food secure future for Africa. Case studies and interviews with women and men farmers – including young people – detail how SIMLESA’s approach has re-shaped their maize-based farming lives.
By: Rahma I Adam, Florence Sipalla, Pauline Muindi and Vongai Kandiwa
The maize seed sector in East and Southern Africa is
male-dominated. Most seed companies operating in the region are owned and run
by men. Often access to land and financial capital can be a constraint for
women who are keen on investing in agriculture. However, there are women
working in this sector, breaking social barriers, making a contribution to
improving household nutrition and livelihoods by providing jobs and improved
seed varieties.
The gender team within the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) Socioeconomics Program interviewed 9 women involved in the seed business in this region as part of a collection of stories that will be published as a book this May. In honor of International Women’s Day, held March 8, 2019, the CGIAR Research Program on Maize (MAIZE) and CIMMYT would like to share some of their stories to recognize these women—and many others like them—and highlight the important work that women do in seed systems in Africa.
This is Grace Malindi, and this is her story:
Dr. Grace Malindi, 67, started Mgom’mera in 2014 with her sister Florence Kahumbe who had experience in running agro-dealer shops. Florence was key in setting up the business particularly through engagement with agro-dealers, while Grace’s background in extension was valuable in understanding their market. Grace has a Ph.D. in Human and Community Development with a double minor in Gender and International Development and Agriculture Extension and Advisory from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the U.S. Mngom’mera is a family-owned enterprise. Grace’s three children are involved in the business, serving as directors. Her sons Ulemu and Mwai advise on strategic partnership, marketing and business development while her daughter Darlis shares her expertise in finance and accounting. She designed the company’s accounting systems and trained staff on it.
By: Rahma I Adam, Florence Sipalla, Pauline Muindi and Vongai Kandiwa
The maize seed sector in eastern and southern Africa is male-dominated. Most seed companies operating in the region are owned and run by men. Often access to land and financial capital can be a constraint for women who are keen on investing in agriculture. However, there are women working in this sector, breaking social barriers, making a contribution to improving household nutrition and livelihoods by providing jobs and improved seed varieties.
The gender team within the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) Socioeconomics Program interviewed 9 women involved in the seed business in this region as part of a collection of stories that will be published as a book this May. In honor of International Women’s Day, held March 8, 2019, the CGIAR Research Program on Maize (MAIZE) and CIMMYT would like to share some of their stories to recognize these women—and many others like them—and highlight the important work that women do in seed systems in Africa.
This is Zubeda Omari Mduruma, and this is her story:
Dr. Zubeda Mduruma, 65, is a
plant breeder. Raised by farmers, Zubeda took to agriculture from a young age
as she enjoyed helping her parents in the farm. After high school, Zubeda
obtained a BSc in Agriculture then joined Tanzania’s national agriculture
research system, working at Ilonga research station. She then pursued her MSc
in Plant Breeding and Biometry from Cornell University in the U.S. and obtained
a PhD in Plant Breeding at Sokoine University of Agriculture in Tanzania, while
working and raising her family. “I wanted to be in research, so I could breed
materials which would be superior than what farmers were using, because they
were getting very low yields,” says Zubeda. In the 22 years she was at Ilonga,
Zubeda was able to release 15 varieties.
