Women's empowerment in agriculture and household food security among smallholder farmers in Rejaf Payam, South Sudan: a mixed-methods analysis

Abstract This study examines how women’s empowerment in agriculture relates to household food security in Rejaf Payam, South Sudan—a region where conflict, widowhood, and land tenure disputes drive chronic food insecurity. Using primary data from 511 households of smallholder farmers (February 2025), we employ a mixed-methods design. Quantile regression estimates the impact of empowerment across different levels of food security, from the most vulnerable to the relatively stable, while focus group discussions contextualise the findings. Results show a consistently positive association: every one-unit increase in the empowerment score (0–12 scale) improves the household food security index by 0.14–0.22 units across all quantiles ( p < 0.01). While female farmers’ empowerment is vital, it is constrained by structural barriers. Education significantly boosts security for mid-to-high-income households, but fails the most insecure (25th percentile), who prioritise immediate survival over paying school fees. Furthermore, spatial disadvantage in remote villages often outweighs the effect of women’s empowerment, reducing its impact on household food security. Qualitative insights reveal a "vicious cycle": repressive gender norms and restricted mobility prevent women from translating increased agency into better household food security. We conclude that empowerment is not a standalone solution. Policymakers should prioritise high-feasibility, place-based interventions, including community-led conflict mitigation to ensure safe field access; rural feeder roads to link female farmers to markets; and mobile vocational training to bypass formal education barriers. Sustainable food security requires embedding the empowerment of female farmers within broader structural transformations.