The United Nations have declared 2026 as the International Year of the Women Farmer. The aim of the year is to highlight what has long been overlooked: namely the fact that it is women who feed the world. At least 60% of all food worldwide is produced on small-scale farms. However, it is women farmers who are responsible for up to 80% of the labour. They cultivate fields, produce and preserve seeds, protect ecosystems and sell the harvest at the market – often parallel to household duties and raising children and with less access to land, material resources, or political participation than men.
Promoting gender equality through agroecology
SWISSAID is committed to eliminating this systemic inequality in agriculture. Our work aims to empower women farmers in the Global South, and our projects are based on agroecological principles, an approach that centres an inclusive and sustainable agriculture.
Agroecology is characterised by low production costs, minimal use of chemical inputs, environmental sustainability, stable long-term yields and its level of accessibility. For women in agriculture, it represents a low-risk, affordable and accessible way to secure their food supply, achieve economic autonomy, and participate in their communities.
From Guinea-Bissau to Niger, from Myanmar to Ecuador: We amplify the voices of women farmers. Click on the map to discover their stories.
Together with local partner organisations, we strengthen women farmers’ knowledge of sustainable agriculture, organise trainings on agroecological methods and entrepreneurial skills, and support women’s networks.
Empowering women, eradicating hunger
The climate crisis is putting enormous pressure on food systems worldwide. Even in 2026, hunger and malnutrition are still a daily reality for many families. To ensure long-term food security, there is no way around it: we must empower women farmers.
As the FAO points out, it is worth the effort: Targeted programmes to support women farmers could increase the income of 58 million people and improve the resilience of 235 million people.
How do women farmers in our project countries deal with food insecurity? What solutions have they successfully implemented? What is their everyday life like?
Find out more in the stories below.
