AGRICULTURE & LAND REFORM
women’s access to land was also reflected in the Women's Charter of 1954 before the drafting and adoption of the Freedom Charter in 1955. This was highlighted by the Honourable Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development in a webinar hosted on 12 August 2021. Enabling women farmers to control their resources is important to achieving not only the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 – gender equality and empowerment of women and girls but also many others, including eliminating poverty (SDG1) and ending hunger (SDG2). When Africa’s female farmers thrive, everyone benefits: the women themselves, the children in whom they invest, the communities that they feed and the economies to which they contribute. With the right investments and policies, Africa’s women-run farms could produce a bumper crop of development.
What resources does the government make available to empower female farmers?
Moses Rannditsheni, Director: Media & External Communications, Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
• CASP and Ilima/Letsema, 2004; • Jobs Fund (2019); • Presidential Employment Stimulus (2020); and • Farmer entrepreneur awards. These programmes have the long-term ambition of leveraging women entrepreneurs from being subsistence and smallholder producers to commercial entrepreneurs who also venture into export markets.
The department made land available by lease to females. What has been the impact, challenges and opportunities?
The government of South Africa continues to play an important role in agriculture for female farmers The department had acquired allocated PLAS land because of their effort to fight food insecurity to women from 2015 as follows: and poverty. Several policies, programmes and • For the past six years, the department allocated strategies have continuously been developed 440 331 hectares from 292 farms. Allocations to acknowledge, encourage and increase the range from commercial, smallholders, farm participation of women, young women and women dwellers to labour tenants’ categories. with disabilities in the agricultural sector. • Of the 440 331 hectares, 190 169 hectares were The major thrust of these programmes was to allocated to women. underline the fact that women play a significant • There are 1 669 beneficiaries of which 414 are role in food security, job creation, economic women: growth and poverty alleviation. Therefore, o 190 169 hectares (43%) allocated to women. investing in them will promote sustainable o 414 women beneficiaries (25%). agricultural production in the country and unlock Allocated farms 2015 – March 2021 enormous economic PSSC Farms Hectares Number of beneficiaries Hectares growth. Some of the allocated allocated to Individuals Women women agricultural programmes TOTALS 292 440 331 1 669 414 190 169 implemented include:
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