This study was carried out in an agroforestry system in the Central Highlands of Kenya (Kirinyagas and Embu districts) with the aim of investigating the gender roles in the agroforestry system and how these affect productivity. The study specifically looked at the characteristics of the system, the gendered division of labour, gendered access to resources, effect of the division of labour and access to resources on productivity and the use of the collective action by women as a strategy to reduce their workloads and increase access to resources. Participatory rural appraisal, focus group discussions, a cross sectional household survey and time allocation studies were used to collect data intended to answer the objectives of the research. One-way analysis of variance was used to compare farms based on whether they had a male manager, female manager or both. A Cobb-Douglas production function was used to analyse factors affecting Total Value Product and calculate farm technical efficiency. Both probit and regression analyses were used to identify and assess factors affecting male and female labour, technical efficiency and determinants of women's ability to make decisions on tree planting. The major constraints to the integration of trees into the farming system were found to be farmers' perceptions of the effects of trees on crops and boundary disputes. Lack of information and seeds on appropriate trees and shrubs were identified as constraints. Female labour was found to contribute 60.9%, 77.7%, 68.8%, 77.4% and 64.3% of the labour in coffee, tea, maize, beans and potato production respectively. In addition, females contributed 47.6% of the labour in cattle and 93.2% of the labour for all domestic activities. Farm technical efficiency was 64%. The study found no evidence of productivity differences between male and female farm managers. Inputs and female labour were found to increase the Total Value Product. Both male and female farm managers were found to benefit equally from extension while female managers benefited less from education in farming. Few women were found to have access to extension, land and credit. Collective action played an instrumental role in guaranteeing women rights and access to resources that they would not otherwise have as individuals. Given the importance of farm inputs in raising the value of total products, future policies should be aimed at increasing rural farmers' access to agricultural inputs at an affordable price as a strategy to increase agricultural production. The study recommends the development of more labour-saving, productivity-enhancing technologies and the promotion of agroforestry technologies that will increase soil fertility and make use of available planting niches while at the same time offering other services to farmers such as fodder. The study also recommends the understanding of the gender division of labour and access to resources in any farming system before any new technologies or crop varieties are introduced into that system.