Women farmers make themselves heard

I travelled from my village in Western Province, Zambia for the launch of Concern’s Women Marginal Farmers Report. I was my first time in the UK, it was exciting to visit London and talk to decision-makers about how they can support women farmers.

Importance of smallholder farmers

It was a busy few days. I gave a presentation alongside Gareth Thomas, UK Minister for International Development, in Parliament. I was pleased to hear him acknowledge the importance of smallholder farmers, recognising the difficulties poor women farmers face:

Concern Worldwide’s campaign has kept the focus and attention on the poorest most marginalised of these farmers. The majority of these women...We agree with Concern’s analysis that smallholder farmers, if properly supported, have the potential to grow food to feed their families, support their community and ultimately contribute to broader national growth and trade.

Shared experiences

I met lots of different people, including UK farmers and discussed the differences between farming in our countries. I even got the chance to share my experiences with the Zambian ambassador to London.

Results

Giving interviews to the BBC World Service I emphasised the difficulties facing women farmers. Appearing alongside the Zambian minister for agriculture on one programme, I made sure that he understood how important, but neglected, women farmers are in Zambia. Since my return I’ve met with him and he is aware of our issues. Here’s hoping we see some results from this. 

I left the UK feeling really positive, coming home with different ideas and interesting perspectives. It’s comforting to know people on the other side of the world care about our issues. Our concerns are slowly being recognised in Zambia and the UK. But we need your help to turn this awareness into action.