How Much of the Labor in African Agriculture Is Provided by Women?

The contribution of women to labor in
African agriculture is regularly quoted in the range of 60
to 80 percent. Using individual-disaggregated, plot-level
labor input data from nationally representative household
surveys across six Sub-Saharan African countries, this study
estimates the average female labor share in crop production
at 40 percent. It is slightly above 50 percent in Malawi,
Tanzania, and Uganda, and substantially lower in Nigeria (37
percent), Ethiopia (29 percent), and Niger (24 percent).
There are no systematic differences across crops and
activities, but female labor shares tend to be higher in
households where women own a larger share of the land and
when they are more educated. Controlling for the gender and
knowledge profile of the respondents does not meaningfully
change the predicted female labor shares. The findings
question prevailing assertions regarding substantial gains
in aggregate crop output as a result of increasing female
agricultural productivity.