March 8 is International Women’s Day - a day to honor the women who carry so much of our global food system on their shoulders. Their leadership, resilience and vision make our world not just more sustainable, but more beautiful.

Across Fairtrade communities, women are cultivating change in ways that often go unseen: leading cooperatives, shaping climate solutions, strengthening their families’ futures and pushing for fairer systems that recognize their worth. Their work is powerful, connective and lasting.  That's why, with 2026 also being the International Year of the Woman Farmer, we're highlighting women farmers around the world who are key agents of change in their communities.

We talked with Fairtrade Africa’s Gender Coordinator, Dr. Limisi, to explore what women’s rights look like across the global Fairtrade system today, where progress is taking root and why celebrating and supporting women isn’t just important, it’s transformative.

She reminds us that when women have equal opportunities, entire communities grow stronger. Equality can’t live only in policy - it must show up in daily practice: in fair prices, in safe working conditions and in leadership spaces where women’s voices aren’t just included but are valued.

How has the global conversation around gender equality shifted over the past decade and where has it stalled?

Over the past decade, the global conversation on gender equality has shifted from awareness to accountability. There is now stronger recognition that gender equality is not only a human rights issue, but also an economic, sustainability and governance imperative. 

We see more emphasis on women’s economic growth, gender-responsive budgeting, safeguarding, data-driven approaches, such as sex-disaggregated reporting and increased attention to gender-based violence, all of which have elevated women’s voices worldwide.

However, progress has stalled in translating commitments into systemic change. Representation has improved in some spaces, but women, especially in rural areas, women farmers, and informal workers, still face structural barriers in ownership/access to land, finance, markets, leadership, decent work and unequal pay. Additionally, backlash against gender equality, lack of collateral to access loans and persistent harmful social norms continue to slow progress.

From a Fairtrade Africa perspective, the gap remains most visible at the intersection of economic justice and social protection, where women contribute significantly to agricultural value chains but do not proportionately benefit from leadership roles, income control or decision-making power. A majority of the women remain at the bottom end of the agriculture value chain with limited skills, technical know-how and very low returns.

Why is it essential to talk about women’s rights today?

Women’s rights are fundamental to sustainable development, fair trade and resilient economies. Across African agricultural value chains, such as cocoa, coffee, flowers and tea, women contribute significantly to production, yet many still lack secure land rights, equal pay, leadership representation and access to finance. Without addressing these structural inequalities, supply chains cannot be truly sustainable or equitable.

Furthermore, climate change, economic shocks and global crises disproportionately affect women smallholders and workers. That is why advancing women’s rights is essential to strengthening household resilience, improving livelihoods and driving inclusive community development. 

What regions in Africa do you think have made the most progress on women’s rights in the last decade?

Progress has been notable but uneven across the African continent. East Africa has shown strong momentum in women’s political participation and leadership representation, while Southern Africa has advanced gender-responsive policy frameworks and labor protections. West Africa has increasingly integrated women’s economic empowerment into agricultural and cooperative systems.

However, policy gains do not always translate into lived realities. From Fairtrade Africa’s experience, the most meaningful progress occurs where policy reform is paired with community-level norm change, economic opportunities and institutional accountability. We need to see policies actualized on the ground and not just on paper.

What role do men and boys play in advancing gender equality, and how can they be engaged?

Men and boys are essential partners in advancing gender equality. In many agricultural communities, men hold land titles, leadership roles and financial decision-making power, making their engagement critical to shifting norms and promoting equitable benefit sharing.

Effective approaches include gender awareness training, promoting positive masculinity, encouraging shared household decision-making and supporting male champions within producer organizations. Gender equality is most sustainable when men are engaged not as gatekeepers, but as allies in building fairer and more resilient communities. The boys need to learn this if the future is going to be different and fair.

If International Women’s Day had one clear action this year, what would you want it to be?

There should be a deliberate move from commitments to measurable accountability.

This means setting clear gender targets in leadership and governance, allocating resources to women’s economic opportunities, collecting and using sex-disaggregated data and embedding gender analysis into all programs. 

International Women’s Day should not only celebrate progress but drive concrete, funded actions that strengthen women’s economic agency, leadership and protection within agricultural value chains.