More about Growing Her Future.

The year 2026 has been delcared the International Year of the Woman Farmer—a global moment led by the United Nations to recognise the essential role that women play in growing, processing and selling much of the food their communities and the world depends on.

Why women and why now

Women play an essential role in agriculture and food systems, making up 43% of the workforce. They often contribute a significant share of the labour needed to plant, harvest and sell food, while also maintaining their households and caring for their children.

Despite their pivotal role, women farmers face several obstacles. Many are denied secure access to land and property, banking services, modern tools and technologies, and essential farming supplies such as seeds and fertilisers. They are also often excluded from training and education that could help them improve their harvests and food quality. Climate shocks also disproportionately affect rural women, who frequently lack the savings, assets, and information needed to recover quickly. For women farmers and rural business owners, discrimination, limited access to markets, and little social support can be part of their everyday lives.

Together, these challenges restrict potential and deepen poverty in rural communities.

2 The Status of Women in Agrifood Systems in sub-Saharan Africa, Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, 2025.

According to 'The Status of Women in Agrifood Systems in sub-Saharan Africa', Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, 2025.

According to UN Women, 2024

According to 'The Status of Women in Agrifood Systems in sub-Saharan Africa', Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, 2025.

Our plan to address this

Our Growing Her Future campaign addresses four key themes to investing in womens futures:

Growing Her Finances

Women are often traditionally excluded from accessing finance and often don’t have a say in farming, business, or family financial decisions. Opportunity works with banks and savings groups to help women gain access to bank accounts, loans and other financial products, while our training and digital tools build skills in saving, investing, and borrowing. We also support women and their partners to work together towards shared family goals, helping women take a stronger role in household decision‑making and community leadership through gender‑inclusive training.

Growing Her Business

Opportunity supports women to grow their farms and rural businesses through training in agriculture, business, and finance. Agricultural training helps women farmers know what to plant and when, protect crops from climate risks, and improve soil health, leading to higher yields, better‑quality produce, and increased incomes. We also train women farmers to start side businesses and rural entrepreneurs to strengthen their businesses and finances, helping many grow their skills and income. Many go on to create jobs within their communities, enabling others to build strong, stable livelihoods.

Growing Her Resilience

Climate shocks and emergencies are increasing. Drought, flooding, and extreme weather are making farming an increasingly unstable livelihood. Opportunity works with rural communities in sub‑Saharan Africa to build resilience by training farmers in climate‑resilient techniques, crop diversification, and encouraging them to introduce alternative income sources such as livestock, food processing, and other off-farm enterprises. We also support farmers and small business owners to build savings and access peer support, weather reports and market information, helping families prepare for and withstand future shocks.

Growing Her Food Security

When families are well-fed, they thrive - children can go to school and concentrate better, families have better health, reducing healthcare costs, and parents are able to work more productively on their land or business, generating more income. Opportunity is supporting women to grow more diverse and nutritious food on their farms, improving their family’s food security. With increased income and harvests, women are providing their children with full, balanced and nutritious meals.

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Our work with women

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Our work with farmers

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Get to know our clients

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Want to find out more about how you can support our Growing Her Future campaign? Contact Rebecca Andrews, our Director of Fundraising & Communications, on [email protected]

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More about Growing Her Future.

Why women and why now