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  • Publication | 2025

Empowering women through farmer field schools

Global Food and Nutrition Security

Farmer Field Schools (FFS) are helping rural women and men in Egypt’s newly cultivated lands to boost production, adapt to climate change and strengthen their voice in their communities. Under the IFAD-supported Sustainable Agriculture Investments and Livelihoods (SAIL) project, thousands of small-scale farmers have gained practical, hands-on training in crops, livestock and climate-resilient techniques. Women’s participation has exceeded project targets, showing how participatory and community-based approaches are essential for social inclusion.

This case study shows how FFS go beyond improving farming skills to drive women’s empowerment and gender equality. Women farmers participating in SAIL’s FFS have not only learned new agricultural practices, but also taken on new economic and leadership roles, challenging stereotypes and restrictive social norms. The study also shares lessons and recommendations for making FFS more gender-transformative, offering insights for IFAD projects in Egypt and across the Near East and North Africa region.