Since 2007, October 15th—International Day of Rural Women—has reminded us of a fundamental truth, too often overlooked: Africa’s economic and social future is also being shaped in its rural areas. In villages across the continent, millions of women cultivate the land, feed families, drive local markets, and reinvent community solidarity. Quiet champions of food sovereignty, they remain absent from the major narratives about the continent’s future. Denied equal access to resources, financing, and networks, women remain invisible—even though they are the beating heart of the rural economy and the true architects of inclusive growth. Africa’s future will not be built without them—it will be built with them, and thanks to them. If nothing changes, the continent’s future will drift away from its promises of inclusion and prosperity.
The Economic Cost of Gender Inequality
The numbers are stark. Gender inequality costs Sub-Saharan Africa an estimated $95 billion in lost productivity each year. In just two decades, the contribution of young women to GDP has dropped from 18% to 11%—a symptom of vast untapped potential. Less than 15% of them own land , even though they make up between 60% and 80% of the continent’s agricultural workforce and produce up to 80% of food on the continent . Young women farmers still face limited access to training, credit, inputs, irrigation infrastructure, and markets. These systemic barriers hold back their potential—and, in turn, that of the entire continent—resulting in lower yields, missed opportunities, and stifled growth.
The conclusion is clear: inequality has a cost. The African Union’s Agenda 2063 reminds us that women’s empowerment is a non-negotiable condition for ending poverty and hunger. The numbers support this: investing in women’s economic potential could generate an additional $287 billion in GDP by 2030 and create 23 million jobs. In agriculture, ensuring women have equitable access to resources such as land, credit, or training could boost yields by 20% to 30%, enough to feed up to 150 million more people.
Inspiring Collective Action
This transformation is not a utopia. It’s already happening on the ground. Since 2023 in Senegal, over 5,500 young rural women have joined Batonga’s Business Circles. Launched by the eponymous Foundation and supported by the Mastercard Foundation, these circles strengthen the autonomy of the most isolated women and empower them to become agents of change within their communities. In these spaces of solidarity, training, and leadership, they gain the tools for independence—financial literacy, mentorship, networks—and become drivers of change, even in the most remote areas.
Because money alone is not enough. What’s needed is smart financing, backed by a comprehensive ecosystem that reflects women's lived realities: lack of land ownership, limited mobility, and the burden of domestic responsibilities. At the Mastercard Foundation, in partnership with the Batonga Foundation, we place these realities at the centre of our approach—co-creating solutions with women, not for them.
Empowering rural women is not just a matter of social justice: it is a strategic choice for Africa that paves the way for food sovereignty, poverty reduction, and economic transformation. It requires bold public policies, stronger private sector engagement, and programs rooted in local communities.
Gender lens investing is not a philanthropic niche. It is the next frontier of sustainable and shared growth. Betting on young African women—as entrepreneurs, consumers, and leaders—is a win-win strategy. Their journeys are not just stories of resilience; they are a collective promise of success.
On October 15, the International Day of Rural Women reminded us of a simple truth: beyond tributes, let us recognize rural women for who they truly are: the architects of Africa’s economic future. Their success will be the success of an entire continent.