The 4R Nutrient Stewardship Project has been at the forefront of advancing gender equality and women's empowerment across various sectors, focusing on women’s leadership through the Rural Commercial Women’s Groups and Gender Model Families. These initiatives have profoundly impacted gender norms and community development.
Over the past five years, the 4R Nutrient Stewardship Project has achieved remarkable success in uplifting rural communities’ socio-economic status by strengthening co-operatives through the Rural Commercial Women Groups and Village Savings and Loan Associations, which have significantly improved market linkages, access to financial resources, and smallholder farmers’ productivity.
Janepher Otieno's volunteer journey in Malawi is a tale woven with challenges and victories. She also navigated through a whirlwind of emotions and complexities as it would be the first time she would leave her children for this long. But, she took it as a divine sign to step forward with confidence and enthusiasm, embracing the unknown.
The 4R Nutrient Stewardship Project stands as a beacon of transformative change for smallholder famers. With a mission to empower them, particularly women on best crop and nutrient management practices, the project integrates gender-sensitive 4R principles into agricultural practices and policies while promoting sustainable crop production.
The Gender Model Family (GMF) approach addresses unequal power relationships between women and men and promotes a longer-term transformation of harmful gender norms. Participants said their GMF training has provided the tools to help couples and family members share household chores and decision making in their homes.
One hundred sixty farmers from 12 co-operatives who were affected by Tropical Cyclone Freddy received support from the Co-operative Development Foundation of Canada, the Manitoba Council for International Cooperation, and the Malawi Federation of Co-operatives.
Women's resurgence and confidence in co-operatives are the result of different training approaches of the VOICE for Women and Girls Program, including co-operative development training. The goal is to mobilize economic growth for women, which benefits their communities.
Well-designed financial literacy training can improve financial knowledge and behaviour, leading to improvements in financial and social well-being. Mollenter is one trainee who experienced financial benefits while putting into practice what she learned about financial literacy.
The Tayamba Rice Producers and Marketing Co-operative is producing and selling reusable sanitary pads to raise revenue as part of a Strategic Innovation Fund through the VOICE for Women and Girls’ Program.