The Association of Women in Trade and Agriculture (AWITA), has called for the empowerment of women farmers to boost their potential in the agricultural sector.
The Lagos State Coordinator of the association, Dr Anthonia Amakwe, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.
She said it is pertinent to equip women farmers as they constitute a larger number of local farmers.
“We need to strengthen the place of women in agriculture, because they are always at a disadvantaged position and they were usually seen as a second fiddle in the sector.
“Women do not have a voice in agriculture, but in essence they constitute about 60 to 70 per cent of local farmers, but the main problem is that they do not have access to land.
“Women farmers do not have access to good farm inputs, they do not have access to finance.
”If women are being empowered and trained they will be able to stand.
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“If women are trained and retrained they will stand like their male counterparts. They will overcome challenges faced in the sector,” she said.
Amakwe also called for the training and mentoring of women farmers to enable them stand a chance with their male counterparts.
She said: “Women farmers need the right mentorship to stand their chance in the agricultural sector.
”We must build the capacity of women before getting access to finance.
“This is because, if these women are given financial aid without building capacity, they may be unable to utilise the funds as they ought to.”
Amakwe urged the government, agricultural parastatals and stakeholders in the sector to partner with women farmers in the country.
“Like AWITA, there are other women farming non-profit agriculture organisations, they need support and this way they will be able to unleash their potential.
“Unfortunately in agriculture, women farmers do all the work, the men do the negotiations and women will be paid peanuts.
