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Cashew makes an important contribution to rural livelihoods in Mozambique, as an income source, a source of nutrition and a source of employment. About 95% of all cashew is currently produced by smallholder farmers and there is only a handful of commercial farms. Around one million rural households (40% of the population) have access to cashew trees and cashew is often processed at home as well as in factories. It offers particular value to women, who are active in producing, processing and marketing cashew throughout the country. For these reasons, enhancing the productivity and profitability of the cashew sector could be a key strategy for poverty reduction in Mozambique and would also increase the country’s export earnings. But the success of such a strategy depends on the extent to which women can engage with and benefit from the sector.