Placing women at the center of development |
Self Help Africa targets its business and micro-finance programs at women.
Why?
Because farming is a business, and because women perform up to 80% of farm work in the developing world. Their role in maximizing income from both farm and off-farm activity is critical.
But these women face an uphill task.
They are denied equal access to land, credit, inputs, transport, extension services, technical assistance, and market opportunities and know-how.
All of this prevents them from adopting new technologies or increasing their economies of scale. Productivity is constrained and their ability to switch into higher-return crops is severely limited.
They may have small business ideas, but can't get started without a small loan.
Studies estimate that agricultural output in sub-Saharan Africa could increase by 20 percent if women had access to the same resources as men. But they don't.
Studies show that small increases in a woman's income have a disproportionately greater impact on the health and wellbeing of her family. Because of this, Self Help Africa supports women in farming, and to set up small businesses, through a network of farm advisory and credit programs.
When it comes to self-help, our 25-year experience shows that placing women at the centre of our programs achieves lasting results.
|
