Empowering Women Farmers in Tanzania Through Communication for Development

Abstract

African women play a major role in the development and industrialization of the continent. They account for up to
80% of household food production by smallholder farmers. In spite of their large numbers, African women generally
do not have access to agricultural production resources, such as land and credit. Their access to land is often through
their husbands and fathers and usually loses their property rights as a consequence of widowhood, divorce, or
desertion. This study of women farmers in Tanzania argues that farming is the main source of livelihood for women
and the key to their empowerment. The study, therefore, examines how communication or access to information, can
serve as the vehicle for women farmers’ empowerment in Tanzania.