My name is Mamalefetsane Phakoe from Lesotho. I would like to start by introducing my country to those who doesn’t know where is Lesotho and how it looks like. Lesotho is a small country landlocked inside South Africa. Most of the people or others, they call it a little Switzerland because of its snow during winter time and mountains, while ourselves, we call it the kingdom in the sky. In Lesotho, we have the Rural Women’s Assembly, which was formed in 2014 in one district of Mafetane by 14 women. But now we are operating in 10 districts. These rural women at local level are organising themselves and joining hands to fight local struggles and advance their agendas.
Coming to today’s gathering, we are commemorating International Day of Peasants’ Struggles. I would like to take this opportunity to explain to those who is the first time to hear of the word peasants, that it means people who produce food from the land using traditional farming methods. And who are subsistence farmers? Or simply we can say, they are just small scale farmers, especially my presentation is going to be focused on rural women. And the question is, why are they poor? There are so many reasons why these women food producers are poor. And they are including among others, the issue of patriarchy and land tenure.
I would like to start by saying, in Africa, women face significant barriers to land access and ownership. Despite their crucial role in agriculture and the broader economy, while women contribute significantly to subsistence farming, they often lack full access to agricultural land. And even when they do, their rights are often tenuous. This situation is linked to several factors, including discriminatory laws, weak enforcement, and persistent social norms that favour men in land ownership and control. While countries have laws protecting women’s land rights, these laws are often not effectively enforced, leading to a gap between policy and the practise.
“I was a victim not so long ago when I lost my husband, that I was at the mercy of the in-laws to nominate me to inherit my husband’s land.”
Which means even though the laws are there, like I said earlier, when it comes to implementation or enforcement, it is not there. And these discriminatory laws and customary practises, especially related to marriage, to marriage, divorce and inheritance, often limit women’s land rights. Traditional gender roles and expectations that confine women to domestic spheres can further limit their access to land and economic opportunities, limited land access is restricting women’s ability to engage in agriculture and income and improve their livelihood.
Women’s land rights are closely linked to food security and lack of access to land is exacerbating food insecurity and malnutrition, particularly in rural areas. Then another aspect which is really affecting rural women, food producers negatively is seed control and food production. The global seed market is increasingly controlled by a few large companies which limit farmer access to diverse seed varieties and potentially impact food security. This control is exerted through various mechanisms, including restrictions in seed saving, patenting of genetic resources and the dominance of specific seed companies. While these companies play a role in developing and distributing improved seed varieties, their influence also raises concerns about the potential for reduced biodiversity. And increase the resilience on a limited number of crops as it is monoculture practise.
Not so long, it was on Monday when in one district where the extension workers or officers called a meeting, they called the farmers. We have what we call a subsidy programme in this country like in many African countries. And when the farmers arrived in that meeting, they were told that there has been an improvement of the subsidy programme. And the improvement is that the new subsidy programme is called a SMART. Now it’s called Smart Subsidy Programme. And that programme, they are saying the farmers has to be able to access the inputs. They have to go and register with the Ministry of Agriculture, their land. And their land has to be registered into their system. I can’t remember the name they use that it has to be registered there. And then only after registration, they have to know how many acres. And then the farmers are forced to buy hybrids, seeds, pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilisers. And then if they don’t buy that package, it’s a package, they are not allowed to buy one thing like maybe if the farmer says, I want to buy only seed, that farmer is not going to get that seed unless he buys the whole package, including the chemical fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides. That’s how the Smart Subsidy is going to work as from now. And the worst part in the third one is that that new Smart Subsidy Programme, according to them, is not going to cover the whole country. They have selected only five districts where they are saying they are going to pilot that Smart Subsidy Programme.
And narrowing of seed diversity and the increased costs due to the control of the seed market surely is negatively impacting on fruit production and security. And the dominance of a few companies and the standardisation of seed varieties is going to lead to reduced biodiversity in crops, making them more vulnerable to pest and disease, but also contribute to land degradation. Ensuring seed quality is very crucial for agricultural productivity, as specifically for peasants.They need seed which can be reused, where the seed which is able to continue life.
Another challenge which is facing the peasants is impacts of climate change. Here in Lesotho, we used to have four seasons of the year, which namely winter, summer, spring, and autumn. “Now we are having two seasons and they are rainy season and a dry season. When it is rainy season, it rains so much that it becomes flood. When it is dry, it becomes so dry so much that it becomes drought.”
We used to have snow in Lesotho and it has never been a challenge, but lately when it’s snow, it snows very heavily, so much that it becomes a crisis because it can take up to a week nonstop and covering all the grass and the animals would die because they won’t have anything to eat. Even some of the people, they suffer from that because all the crops, they die because of heavy snow. Warmer temperatures allow pests and pathogens to thrive and expand their range, increasing the risk of crop diseases and infestations. Decreased crop yields lead to a reduced quality and quantity of food for both the human and livestock, affecting their health and production. Climate change causes soil erosion, nutrient depletion and salinisation, all of which negatively affects crop production. Livestock suffer from heat stress leading to reduced productivity and even death.
Peasants face higher costs for irrigation and pest control. Changes in crop yields and production disrupt agricultural markets and food prices. Reduced crop yields and increased food prices contribute to food insecurity, particularly in rural areas and vulnerable communities.
How are women organising and resisting with dignity and strength? Women organise and resist against various forms of oppression and injustice through diverse means, including activism, political participation, community organising, and challenging societal norms. Women are often at the forefront of community organising efforts, working to address social issues and improve the lives of others. Through various initiatives, women are raising awareness about gender inequality and violence against women because empowered people can be resilient even when the policy is not responsive. They are challenging traditional gender roles and stereotypes, advocating for greater equality and opportunity. Women are resisting the impact of economic policies that oppress their role in the economy and exploit their labour. They are working together to address implicit and explicit biases that hinder their participation in leadership and decision-making. Women are forging closer ties with broader campaigns for democratic renewal and challenging divisive rhetoric. Africa is rich in natural resources and biodiversity, but it will remain the most food insecure if it continues like this.
“We are not invisible. Rural women are the front lines of change.”
I submit.
