IntroductionRural development has been the driving objective of agriculture and agricultural development in developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa; without rural development, agricultural development will be irrelevant. Evidently, most farmers produce at subsistence or smallholding levels, while sustainable agriculture is rare. A significant feature of the agricultural production system in these countries, including Nigeria, is that a disproportionately large fraction of agricultural production is in the hands of these smallholder farmers (Odurukwe, S, Matthews-Njoku, E. & Ejioku-Okereke and N. 2006). Furthermore, access to modern and improved technologies is very limited and their general circumstances do not always merit tangible investments in capital, inputs and labour. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Household food and nutrition security is highly dependent on rural food production and this contributes substantially to poverty reduction. Consequently, the first pillar of food security[1] is sustainable food production; It was noted that in the early 1980s, as populations grew rapidly, food production and agricultural incomes declined in many African countries (FAO 1995). In many countries, the decline in agriculture's ability to support the family translates into an increase in the workload borne by women as men withdraw their labor from agriculture. Hence the growing attention given to the role of smallholder subsistence agriculture in ensuring food security on the continent, since approximately 73% of the rural population is made up of small farmers (IFAD. 1993). Most of the poor; according to a recent World Bank estimate, about three-quarters live in rural areas where they earn their livelihood from agriculture and related activities. Evidently, development, food security and poverty reduction will not be truly achieved without rapid agricultural growth in a sustainable manner, such as food sovereignty[2]. Helping rural people improve their livelihoods through food sovereignty and food security in a sustainable way has been a major challenge. Agricultural input and increased production are key to improving food security, income distribution, poverty reduction and growth in sub-Saharan Africa. All of these goals cannot be achieved without rural women and are critical to successful efforts directed at agricultural development in rural areas. Over time, women have played crucial roles and maintained their dominant position in addressing the challenges of agricultural production. These rural women have shown significant relevance that cannot be underestimated. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) revealed that women make up approximately 60-80% of the agricultural workforce in sub-Saharan Africa; which depends on the regions, with two thirds of food production. However, it is generally assumed that men make the most important decisions about farm management and not women. In sub-Saharan Africa there are many women farmers who do not have a say in influencing agricultural policies; Such policies that aim to increase food security and alleviate poverty still have their drawbacks with regards to food sovereignty. These policies totally ignore the role of women in both production and overall decision-making processes, 3(4), 246-252.