Paper short abstract:

This research investigates networks of female entrepreneurs in African agribusiness. Focusing on the VALUE4Her Initiative from the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, it offers new perspectives to enrich our understanding of empowerment for development outcomes.

Paper long abstract:

Agriculture is back on the development agenda. Governments and other donors have responded to the need to meet growing demands for food and the desire to drive economic growth by increasing investment in agribusiness.

Nowhere is this more visible than on the African continent, where the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) seeks to boost incomes for smallholders and reduce food insecurity across the continent. Inclusivity is a key focus area of AGRA's five-year strategy, especially in relation to gender equality. It remains unclear, however, the extent to which these visions of inclusivity are reflected in development practice.

This research focuses on the VALUE4HER Initiative: AGRA's programme for strengthening women's agribusiness enterprises. The Initiative's virtual platform connects women in agriculture, offering networking and learning opportunities. The Initiative offers a lens through which to ask: What role do networks play in strengthening women's agribusiness enterprises?

To try and answer this question, the research uses qualitative methods to investigate the experiences of women who have been involved with the Initiative across its eleven focus countries.

The findings challenge previously held assumptions about agriculture for development. First, the importance of women's networks contest notions of the rational self-interested entrepreneur. Participants highlight the importance of collaboration, mentorship, and role modelling for overcoming the barriers women face. Second, women's experiences of networks offer new perspectives for theorising empowerment in a more relational and collective way. Overall, this research aims to inform more inclusive approaches to gender in agricultural development policy.