Published: January 10, 2025
GANTA, Nimba County – To increase awareness of Gender-Responsive Agriculture Extension Services and support women farmers across Liberia, over 40 County and District Agriculture Coordinators have pledged to mainstream gender in agriculture activities.
This commitment was made at the conclusion of a two-day Gender-Responsive Planning and Extension Service Delivery Training organized by the Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection.
The training is part of the World Bank-funded Liberia Women Empowerment Project (LWEP), a US$44.6 million initiative currently implemented by the Ministry of Gender. Component 4 of the project focuses on strengthening public institutions to promote gender equality.
Held from January 7-8, 2025, in Ganta, Nimba County, the workshop brought together technicians, gender and social inclusion experts, and agriculture extension officers. The training aimed to equip participants with the skills needed to improve leadership roles and implement gender-responsive strategies in agriculture nationwide.
Speaking at the workshop’s conclusion, participants expressed gratitude for the technical skills and knowledge gained, enabling them to serve as trainers in their respective counties and districts.
“This training is timely and greatly appreciated,” said A. Key Sumo, Gbarpolu County Agriculture Coordinator, who promised to share the knowledge gained with local farmers in rural areas. He emphasized that the skills acquired would help address gender imbalances in the agriculture sector, increase food productivity, and ensure farming tools are gender-sensitive.
Similarly, Madam Nounou Sharty, Grand Gedeh County Agriculture Coordinator, acknowledged the importance of the training and the impact of LWEP in her county. “This project is empowering rural women economically, and the training helps us better engage with them on gender-related issues,” she said. The workshop, she added, reshaped her understanding of gender, emphasizing it as more about mindset than identity.
Participants, particularly those from the six LWEP counties, offered recommendations to enhance food production and agricultural activities. Madam Famatta J. Kamara, Grand Cape Mount County Agriculture Coordinator, called on the government to provide local farmers with modern machinery and financial support to transition from subsistence farming to commercial agriculture.
“Most farmers are in hard-to-reach areas, so I urge the government to allocate more funding and address the challenges hindering farming progress,” she stressed.
Bomi County Agriculture Coordinator Samuel C. Smith suggested extending similar training initiatives to farmers, noting that such efforts would give them a sense of belonging and motivation to boost productivity. “We will ensure women are fully involved in decision-making processes and take responsibility for advancing agriculture,” he said.
River Cess County Coordinator Chester H. Garduard and Montserrado County Coordinator Madam Fatu M. Carnmu commended the government for organizing the training and called for its decentralization into regions.
In her closing remarks, Madam Keturah K. T. Woods, Team Lead and Director of the Gender, Social, and Inclusion Unit at the Ministry of Agriculture, thanked participants for their dedication. She urged them to apply the skills acquired in their respective counties and districts.
Highlighting the workshop’s objectives, Madam Woods explained that it sought to raise awareness of gender mainstreaming among Ministry of Agriculture technicians and provide them with practical tools to implement gender-responsive services. She emphasized that the goal is to design services that address the distinct needs and challenges of male and female farmers, as well as those with special needs.
“This initiative also aims to establish a robust monitoring and reporting system to measure the impact of gender-responsive services on smallholder farmers, especially women,” she noted.
Jesse James, Program Officer in the Women Empowerment Division at the Ministry of Gender, also emphasized the importance of empowering women in agriculture. He praised the Ministry of Agriculture for the workshop and encouraged participants to make the most of their training.
The LWEP, a five-year project, targets 267,200 people in over 750 communities across six counties: River Cess, Grand Gedeh, Gbarpolu, Bomi, Grand Cape Mount, and Rural Montserrado. The project provides grants ranging from US$1,000 to US$8,000 to support individual enterprises, livelihood groups, village savings and loan associations, and farmer-based organizations.
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