Report

Accelerating Professional Growth for Women in the Agribusiness Sector

March 9, 2026

A Fruitful Partnership with United Exports

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This report presents findings from introducing IFC’s Gender Equality and Returns (GEAR) program to Africa’s agribusiness sector, following its success in Asia’s apparel industry. GEAR is a comprehensive training program that builds the leadership and management capacities of women employees, helping them advance and succeed in supervisory and management roles. In partnership with United Exports, a major fruit producer and exporter in South Africa, IFC customized and delivered GEAR across six farms.

The training program strengthened women employees’ leadership and management skills, including self‑confidence, communication, problem‑solving, and people management — capabilities critical during high‑pressure harvest seasons. Following the training, most participants reported improved productivity‑related behaviors, while many assumed greater responsibilities or progressed into new roles. This pilot demonstrated the relevance and benefits of the GEAR program in a completely new context, highlighting the importance of building employees’ personal and professional capacities while engaging line managers to create a supportive environment for career development.

Drawing on the pilot, complementary research, and previous GEAR experiences, the report provides key insights for designing and delivering comparable initiatives and explores the potential to scale GEAR — and similar programs — to help advance women’s careers and improve job quality while strengthening business performance.

The GEAR pilot in agribusiness and this report were funded by the World Bank’s Jobs Umbrella Multi‑Donor Trust Fund, which is supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency; the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development; the Austrian Ministry of Finance; the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance; the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office; and the German Agency for International Cooperation..

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