Digital Literacy, Rural Women Farmers, and Climate-Smart Agricultural Extension Services

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 10, October 2026 | pp. 351–364

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001340

Article Type: Research Article

Title: Digital Literacy, Rural Women Farmers, and Climate-Smart Agricultural Extension Services

Names of Author: Sekai Moyo¹, Rajeshwari Menon², & Emily MacLeod³

Author's Affiliation: ¹Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe; ²Department of Rural Management, Anand Agricultural University, Anand, India; ³School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.

Abstract:
Mobile-based weather forecasting, digital market-price alerts, and e-extension platforms are increasingly deployed to help smallholder farmers adapt to erratic rainfall and market volatility. Yet a persistent rural gender digital divide—driven by lower smartphone ownership, costly mobile data, lower literacy rates, and patriarchal household gatekeeping—prevents female farmers from accessing vital agricultural information. Furthermore, digital extension content is frequently designed around male cash-crop farmers rather than women’s subsistence and horticultural crops. This paper evaluates gender-inclusive digital agricultural extension programs in rural Zimbabwe and Gujarat, India. Anchored in feminist technology studies and rural development theory, the study combines survey data from 160 female farmers with participatory design workshops. The findings reveal that voice-based local-language advisories delivered through women’s savings groups significantly bridge digital access gaps and enhance crop yields.

Keywords: Digital literacy, rural women farmers, agricultural extension, gender digital divide, climate-smart agriculture, smallholder farming, Zimbabwe, India

Manuscript Timeline: Received: September 11, 2026; Revised: October 11, 2026; Accepted: October 15, 2026; Published: October 15, 2026.

Citation: Moyo, S., Menon, R., & MacLeod, E. (2026). Digital Literacy, Rural Women Farmers, and Climate-Smart Agricultural Extension Services. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(10), 351–364. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001340

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