Empowering women in agriculture is critical for enhancing productivity, improving food and nutrition security,and ensuring equitable food systems for sustainable development. However, studies have shown that social norms define gender roles in agriculture and determine who benefits from participation in agricultural activities. While gender transformative approaches target to tackle the social norms that disproportionately affect women in agriculture, the effectiveness of these in extension services is under explored. This study examined the effectiveness of plant clinics and community conversations in empowering women in agriculture. The study used mixed methods to assess the effectiveness of plant clinics and community conversations in addressing social norms and contributing to women’s empowerment and intra-household equality in Burundi. Content analysis, summary statistics (means and percentages) of project-level women’s empowerment in agriculture index indicators, and tests of significance were employed to measure and analyse qualitative and quantitative data.Results: Findings showed that community conversations contributed to increased self-efficacy among women, alongside notable reductions in gender disparities and intra-household inequality. Gender parity in project households increased by approximately 71%, while intra-household inequality decreased by 41% – both improvements being nearly twice as much as those observed in control households. The interventions also significantly increased the proportion of empowered women. In project households,the percentage of empowered women more than doubled, rising from 19% at baseline to 46% at end line – a 150% increase.In comparison, the control group saw a 75% increase over the same period. Additionally, the pro-WEAI score for women in the project group improved by 15%, compared to an 8% increase among women in the control group. Despite these encouraging gains, the project had limited contribution on reducing the intensity of disempowerment among the most marginalized women. This is reflected in the disempowerment score, which remained unchanged over the two periods. Qualitative findings further revealed that persistent social norms – particularly those governing women’s mobility and division of labour – continue to restrict their access to extension services, participation in training sessions, and the ability to apply new knowledge on the farm. Conclusions:The study underscores the importance of promoting gender-transformative approaches within agricultural extension services.Women’s empowerment programs should integrate a multi-dimensional strategy that promotes gender-transformative outcomes by actively engaging both men and women in extension services. This approach should address not only visible inequalities but also the invisible architecture of gender norms.
