Female farmers in Kenya are collapsing gender and economic barriers.

Activities of 63-year-old Easther Tuiya and other members of the Elenarai Cooperative Women Society have turned the tide for Kenyan women farmers, in terms of economic opportunities and income generation in agriculture. This means good news for women empowerment, gender equality, and an overall balance of Kenya’s economic climate. The practice of conservation agriculture has become more prominent amongst female farmers in the country, and the Muchore Mutethia have made their way around middlemen to secure their income by being sole producers of food crop for a renowned brewery. All of these feats see Kenyan women farmers come a long way from agricultural restrictions that left them selling charcoal and firewood for a living, and arriving at a place where they make immense contributions to the country’s economy and environment. The frequent droughts and growing food insecurity in Kenya moved women farmers to discover other options to what was once a common trade for them. This was especially since the climatic conditions further prevent the business from thriving, and the journey to gather wood has become a risky venture for the women. To solve their problems, Easther Tuiya and her group of former charcoal and firewood traders started out with the vision to repair their landscape through the planting of trees and harvesting rain water. more