Without a focus on women, the African agricultural sector’s potential for food security, poverty eradication and job creation will not be realised. “Women in ATVET” is a new, gender-transformative component of the CAADP ATVET project that strives to transform women’s roles in agricultural production, processing and trade through skills development.

In many African countries, women still lack access to essential knowledge and training opportunities due to existing socio-cultural barriers. ‘Women in ATVET’ aims to increase women’s access to formal and non-formal training in agriculture by ensuring that that training delivery is inclusive, labour market-oriented and income-enhancing.

Building on the experience from 6 ATVET partner countries, “Women in ATVET” works to make an agricultural TVET system gender transformative. This means that training delivery is competency-based, responsive to women’s needs and geared towards transforming persisting gender inequalities. The approach takes into account women’s diverse roles and needs in society by focusing on skills development that is flexible in design – for example, evening or weekend courses that are tied to local formal training institutions.