Everyone knows that both men and women play an indispensable role in agriculture in developing countries. However, women usually do not benefit from the commercialisation of agriculture in the same way that men do. This is because gender differences and the inequalities in resources and power between men and women have an impact on how value chains operate at every level. However, there are plenty of chances to seize for female entrepreneurs in value chains dominated by men.

Members of the Agri-ProFocus network have shared the example of Ethiopia and Rwanda, where women have taken up new roles in the production of honey. Gizachew Sisay of Oxfam GB said: “Traditionally beehives in trees used to be a no-go area for women. Yet, new technologies have now provided new and profitable markets for them and for their families.”

Another example comes from milk production in Nicaragua. Mieke Vanderschaege, an independent consultant, observed that once people were made aware of the positive impact of women’s hygiene on the quality of the milk, the value chain became more competitive and women took up leadership positions.

The Agri-ProFocus network started its work on gender in 2008. Since then, it has contributed to a strong and growing international community of practice. Professionals from this community regularly exchange experiences and information – both face-to-face and online – and they support each other in their practical work. Together they have developed a novel conceptual and methodological outlook on strategies for gender inclusive value chain development.

The professionals in this community include Dutch Agri-ProFocus members, international donors such as the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the International Labour Organisation (ILO), and USAID, regional networks as well as a host of NGOs and knowledge institutes from most continents. All these Practitioners can be found at the Gender in Value Chains online platform.