Our Office
-
US OFFICES: State of Delaware, Located at 8 The Green.
- TANZANIA OFFICES: PSPF Millenium Tower, 19th Floor.
Gender-based exclusion from land ownership is a persistent barrier that disproportionately affects women, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa and Tanzania. Globally, women own far less than 20% of agricultural land despite being a major part of the farming workforce and producing much of the food in developing countries. Patriarchal customs, discriminatory laws, and limited access to titles keep most women from secure land rights, trapping them in poverty and blocking progress on gender equality and food security.
Her Farm Story empowers women by organizing them into Queens of Farms groups, supportive farmer circles that foster trust, leadership, and shared knowledge. Through collective farming on shared land, these groups generate income and savings, building the financial strength needed to eventually acquire and own individual or group land. This approach directly tackles gender-based exclusion by turning collective action into personal ownership, enabling women to invest confidently in their farms, access credit, and achieve economic independence.
Lack of Financial Control and Exclusion severely limits women's economic independence in Sub-Saharan Africa and Tanzania, often trapping them in poverty cycles. Many women farmers lack bank or formal accounts, making it difficult or impossible to directly receive payments for harvest produce even when buyers or markets are willing due to reliance on cash handled by men or informal channels. Low financial knowledge further worsens the situation: without understanding formal systems or loan terms, women often turn to unfriendly informal loans with high interest rates from moneylenders or relatives. These burdensome debts lead to defaults, asset loss, and deeper dependence, perpetuating the poverty trap and restricting investments in farming or business growth.
Unlocking Financial Access Through Data and Tools The initiative supports women to open bank accounts, develop credit histories, and access working capital. Using real-time farm data from MazaoHub, women can demonstrate productivity and repayment potential, giving them legitimacy in the eyes of lenders. This bridges the gap between informal farming and formal finance.
Limited Access to Sustainable Farming Knowledge and Technology is a key barrier that reduces women's agricultural productivity and resilience in Sub-Saharan Africa and Tanzania. Women farmers often miss out on extension services, training, improved seeds, climate-smart practices, and modern tools due to patriarchal norms, mobility restrictions, lower education levels, and exclusion from male-dominated programs—leading to lower adoption of sustainable techniques and higher vulnerability to climate shocks.
Her Farm Her Story provides digital farm management tools and hands-on training in climate-smart agriculture, adapted to women’s crops and regions. Through this, women gain practical knowledge on soil health, water management, pest control, and more. Over 57% have already adopted new, sustainable practices improving resilience and yields.
Unfair Market Access and Exploitation by Intermediaries is a significant barrier that undermines women's earnings and economic security in Tanzania. Women smallholder farmers often lack direct access to markets due to cultural norms, high transport costs, mobility restrictions, and exclusion from formal contracts or buyer networks, leaving them reliant on exploitative middlemen who control supply chains and dictate low prices. Studies show that intermediaries frequently underpay rural women farmers by 30-50% below market value, buying produce at throwaway prices only to resell at much higher rates. This exploitation, combined with limited bargaining power and informal channels, keeps women trapped in low incomes, unable to invest in their farms or escape poverty cycles.
The initiative bypasses exploitative middlemen by connecting women farmers directly to high-value markets and off-takers through CropSupply platform. This ensures they get fair pricing, faster payment, and greater control over when and how they sell leading to a reported 25% increase in market returns.
Her Farm Story exists to make women farmers economically visible at the point where value, income, and power are decided and not just where labor begins. Kindly support our efforts so we can reach more women smallholder farmers and make them visible.
2025 © Her Farm Her Story. All rights reserved.