My comments are structured in the form of responses to the questions raised Under this topic:

How does the gender gap in agricultural productivity occur and why?
While the low access to knowledge, inputs and finance remains a general feature in agriculture for both men and women, women are most challenged by this constraint. Furthermore, the prevailing culture in societies / communities and even the institutions trying to serve them is not always pro-women (or at least not gender sensitive enough) in their mind set and approaches. In light of the above, women participation in improving agricultural production and productivity remains marginal. The low benefits from the engaged activities by women in agriculture are an additional dis-incentive for them to express their full potential. This context leads to the confinement of women to a subsistence agriculture where the use of knowledge, inputs and finance remains marginal. With the limited access to market for this type of agriculture to markets, it becomes clear that subsistence agriculture, thanks to women!, plays an important role in household food security.

What is the role of agricultural research in bridging the gender gap?
One front on which agricultural research could be more active is in providing fact based data to demonstrate the loss in production (yield and value addition) due to the non-participation of women in agriculture value chains. This calls for innovative field research using multidisciplinary and participatory approaches as opposed to classical station and lab research (unfortunately, this may not be attractive to a typical / average research). The findings of such research can be used as justification / persuasion tool towards politicians, decision makers and planners to take corrective measures.

What are the implications of this gender gap, especially for women in subsistence agriculture?
Regardless of the women’s noble role in making a significant contribution to household food security, subsistence agriculture unfortunately does not help them break away from poverty. The low productivity and its subsequent impact of income and low to no access to market perpetuate the poverty loop, with women at the center of it.

How have these realities been integrated into interventions and projects to reduce the gender gap in agricultural productivity and address the challenges of subsistence agriculture?
Not very well integrated, if one looks at the part of the projects costs specifically dedicated to activities targeting women as an indicator. This can be due to: a) the prevailing gender-insensitive culture in the country / community where the project is being appraised

(a general trend across African rural areas) leading to the absence of an active voice of women’s needs;
b) the scarce / absent gender analytical work does not help in providing clear indications in terms of design and activities on where most impact on women economic empowerment can be achieved by the project;
c) appraisal teams are not systematically equipped with the right skills and sensitivities in terms of gender;
d) retained activities targeting women are not always adequately implemented and followed upon.

How should the Bank’s Feed Africa Strategy; through its flagship initiatives and programmes be used to reduce the gender gap in agricultural productivity and support a strong foundation for Africa’s agricultural transformation?
By providing corrective measures to the issues brought up before in this contribution. Also, capitalizing the outcome of the mid-term review of the Bank-Gender Strategy. I recall that a group of AfDB agriculture sector specialists provided inputs to the mid-term review consultancy. This report should provide some insights, however, I personally do not know its status.

Which successful initiatives on women’s agricultural productivity could be scaled up by the AfDB?
Livestock (goats, sheep) pass on schemes in Zambia / Ghana There are probably others known by other colleagues.