Women empowerment as a tool against food insecurity in Sub Saharan Africa

Promoting food  production andsecurity continues to be a major challenge in Sub Saharan Africa. This  discussion seeks to explore the opportunitiesand constraints that women experience in accessing and participating equitablyin food production and  security.  It also examines the role of women inimproving food production and security. There is an attempt to describe theimpact of  gender-based discrimination  on food production and its implication onfood security. Some of the factors which perpetuate food insecurity have beenidentified as low agricultural productivity due to lack of high yieldinginputs, agricultural support services and inappropriate technology. Theavailability of resources (land, labor, capital, and knowledge) to ensure thatwomen have the means necessary to participate in intensified food productionhave been inadequate. The discussion, concludes that in the planning and implementationof food production  programs to enhancefood security, gender sensitive policies should be put in place, such thatwomen become the focal point of food production. It is suggested that womenshould  become  increasingly important such that they influencefood production and  achieve the primaryobjective of food security.