Morocco hosted a high-level side event at United Nations headquarters on Wednesday, spotlighting the role of women in transforming food security across Africa.
Held on the sidelines of the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), the event brought together ambassadors, senior UN officials and representatives of international organizations to discuss ways to strengthen women’s economic empowerment and their contribution to agricultural development on the continent.
The meeting was chaired by Omar Hilale, Morocco’s permanent representative to the United Nations. It featured participation from Lok Bahadur Thapa, president of the 2026 session of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), and Sima Bahous, head of UN Women.
In his opening remarks, Hilale acknowledged the challenges facing Africa but emphasized the continent’s agricultural potential, stressing that transformation depends on boosting local industrialization, ensuring sustainable access to fertilizers, strengthening value chains and developing regional markets.
He highlighted the central role of African women in food production, processing and resilience, calling for greater support to unlock their full potential.
Hilale also underscored Morocco’s commitment to food security as a strategic priority, aligned with the vision of King Mohammed VI, particularly through South-South and trilateral cooperation initiatives.
The event included participation from OCP Group, represented by its subsidiary OCP Africa and its CEO Hajar El Afifi.
El Afifi said OCP operates in more than 40 African countries, supporting over 4 million smallholder farmers through programs aimed at improving productivity and promoting sustainable agricultural practices.
She noted that the group, a global leader in phosphate-based plant nutrition solutions, is committed to improving access to essential nutrients for crops while supporting farmers and communities worldwide.
Discussions highlighted that women produce up to 70% of Africa’s food, despite facing structural barriers such as limited access to land, financing, inputs and markets.
Participants called for stronger public policies, increased investment in sustainable agriculture and expanded partnerships between governments, international institutions and the private sector to accelerate agricultural transformation.
Additional speakers included representatives from the Food and Agriculture Organization and the International Labour Organization, who stressed the importance of training, innovation and South-South cooperation in supporting women farmers.
The event concluded with a call for intensified efforts to remove barriers to women’s economic empowerment in agriculture, with participants emphasizing that their full participation is essential to advancing sustainable development and strengthening food security across Africa.
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