The Role of Women Producer Organizations in Agricultural Value Chains

by: Aziz Elbehri and Maria Lee AA DI N IN DD ANAN AA ICI R FR AA OMOM R FFR S N ON S SS E LE LL CCA

V TI C AAC PR THE ROLE OF WOMEN THE ROLE OF WOMEN PRODUCER ORGANIZATIONS VALUE CHAINS IN AGRICULTURAL THE ROLE OF WOMEN PRODUCER ORGANIZATIONS IN AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS

PRACTICAL LESSONS FROM AFRICA AND INDIA

Aziz Elbehri and Maria Lee *

* Aziz Elbehri is a Senior Economist in FAO’s Trade and Markets Division and Maria Lee is an FAO consultant

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Rome 2011 The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The views and opinions expressed in this publication are entirely those of the authors and/or the results from workshop meetings and exchanges; they do not necessarily represent the ofﬁcial positions and/ or endorsement of FAO.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This report is based on the outputs of a one- Faso; Dienaba Diallo, Burkina Faso; Bintou week Exposure and Exchange Programme Guido, Mali; Fanta Diamoutene, Mali; (EEP) in India hosted by the Self-employed Fatoumata Diallo Sirebala, Mali; Oumy Women’s Association (SEWA) with African Seck, Senegal; Jeanne Ngane Diatara, women leaders of producer organizations Senegal; Adie Diatta, Senegal; Esther from West and Central Africa. The EEP was Oman Njomo, Cameroon; and Christine organized by the Food and Agriculture Andela, Cameroon. Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with SEWA in India, in The authors acknowledge and thank the the framework of the European Union- rest of the FAO team that contributed to funded All-ACP Agricultural Commodities the EEP and to this report, including: Kirsten Programme. Following the EEP, a workshop Hayes (Consultant-EST) who provided was organized at FAO headquarters on 6 technical assistance, especially handling December 2010 by the Trade and Markets and processing the surveys of the African Division (EST) in coordination with the women organization prior to the EEP; Emily Gender, Equity and Rural Employment Carroll (EST) who provided all the needed Division (ESW). The workshop was administrative support during the planning funded through the All-ACP Agricultural phase with SEWA and ensured successful Commodities Programme and the IFAD- travels from many African countries into funded Regional Capacity Building and India, Italy and back; Carina Hirsch (ESW) Knowledge Management for Gender who made valuable contributions to the Equality Programme. EEP in the ﬁeld. Ilaria Sisto (ESW) who provided additional administrative support We are grateful to the team of SEWA’s to FAO for the post-EEP workshop and Rita grassroots organizers Jyoti Meckwan, Ashton who designed and formatted the Reema Nanavaty, Smita Bhatnagar, report. Chhaya Bhavsar and Ami Shelat. We are also grateful to the African women leaders Finally, special thanks are due to Nora who participated in this programme and Ourabah Haddad and Denis Herbel, Gender shared their experiences and aspirations, and Rural Employment Division of FAO, for namely: Antoinette Ouedraogo, Burkina their review of this report.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgements i Acronyms v

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1

CHAPTER 2: SEWA’S MODEL TO PROMOTE WOMEN’S OPPORTUNITIES IN AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS 5

2.1 SEWA’s mission and organization 5 2.2 SEWA’s needs-based approach 10 2.3 Building women’s capacity to transform their lives 15 2.4 Enabling women farmers to engage in sustainable economic activities 18 2.5 Strengths and limits of SEWA’s model 24

CHAPTER 3: A PARTIAL OVERVIEW OF WOMEN’S ORGANIZATIONS IN STAPLE CROP VALUE CHAINS IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA 29

3.1 Background 29 3.2 Improving women’s capacity to access markets and commercialize their produce 30 3.3 Increasing women’s opportunity to upgrade in a value chain 34 3.4 Facilitating women’s access to support services 36 3.5 Raising women’s voice in policy advocacy 38 3.6 Strengths and weaknesses of African women producers’ organizations 40

iii CHAPTER 4: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SEWA AND AFRICAN WOMEN’S ORGANIZATIONS 45

4.1 Organizational structure and good governance 46 4.2 Self-reliance approach 46

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSIONS 53

REFERENCES 57

ACRONYMS

AFDB Association Féminine pour le Développement Buayaba (Burkina Faso) [Women Association for Development in Buayaba, Burkina Faso] AOPP Association des Organisations Professionelles Paysannes (Mali) [Peasant Association of Professional Organisations (Mali)] CEEDD Centre d’Ecoute et d’Encadrement pour un Développement Durable (Sénégal) [Listen and Coaching center Sustainable Development (Senegal)] COSADER Collectif des ONG pour la Sécurité Alimentaire et le Dével- oppement Rural (Cameroon) [Collective of NGOs for Food Security and Rural Development] ECOWAP Agricultural Policy of the Economic Community of West African States ECOWAS Economic Community of West African States EEP Exchange and Exposure Programme EIG Economic Interest Group FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations FEPPASI Fédération des Professionnels Agricoles de la Sissili (Burkina Faso) [Federation of Agricultural Professionals in Sissili (Burkina Faso)] FNAFER Fédération Nationale des Associations des Femmes Rurales (Mali) [National Federation of Rural Women (Mali)] IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development ILO International Labour Ofﬁce NGO Non-governmental organization RUDI Rural Distribution Network (of SEWA)

v SEWA Self-employed Women’s Association SHG Self-help groups (of SEWA) STFC SEWA Trade Facilitation Centre

African women group visit to SEWA cooperative during EEP CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1. INTRODUCTION

The last three decades have seen tremendous climate change, producer organizations are economic, political and environmental increasingly recognized as central players. changes, which have affected the roles This shift focuses greater attention on staple played by different stakeholders in agricultural and other food value chains, where small- and rural development (including fisheries, scale producers, especially women, tend to livestock and forestry). In the 1980s and be more active. 1990s, there was a global consensus that liberalization and global trade would pull This increased attention on the role of development and create wealth for the small-scale producers and their organizations vast majority. As a result, governments, raises many debates (Murphy, 2010). Many encouraged by the international community, producer organizations face important reduced their investments in agriculture and challenges in assuming their primary role, withdrew from many rural areas, leaving which is to respond to their members’ private sector and producer organizations needs in increasingly competitive, open and to provide agricultural services. Since then, unstable markets. Often, they still struggle a wide variety of producer organizations to move away from the traditional top-down – mainly cooperative organizations – have approach to development and adopt a more emerged worldwide, including across Africa. participatory and needs-based approach They have been supported by donors and to economic self-empowerment. They face non-governmental organizations (NGOs), constraints such as the lack of efficient and have been playing an important role management and organizational capacity, in providing inputs, finance, extension and the absence of good governance systems, marketing services to farmers, including and insufficient capital and technology to small-scale producers. meet market quality standards.

The recent years – especially since the Women producers, who are often ex- 2007/08 food crisis – have shown that cluded or have their participation restrained the anticipated benefits from agricultural in organizations, face additional challenges, liberalization have failed to translate into such as cultural and legal discrimination, a significant reduction in poverty and which prevent them from accessing that concerted efforts among different productive assets, finance, education stakeholders are crucial to reduce the and technology. Establishing their own risks of future crises. As the international organizations or becoming more active in agenda places greater weight on food integrated organizations can help them security, sustainable development and overcome these constraints, increase their

1 THE ROLE OF WOMEN PRODUCER ORGANIZATIONS IN AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS

economic and social power and improve This report first presents the approach access to needed services. While women and achievements of the Self-employed represent the majority of producers, they still Women’s Association (SEWA) in India and are often concentrated in the less profitable how it has been successful in facilitating stages of the value chain and struggle to women’s access to markets and promoting engage in the value chain’s more lucrative women as competitive entrepreneurs. It then activities. gives an overview of the experiences and accomplishments of a representative sample Innovative institutional and operational of women organizations in agricultural mechanisms and business models need value chains in West and Central Africa. to be developed to enable small-scale Based on the analysis of the initiatives and producers, especially women, to seize strategies of these different organizations as market opportunities along agricultural value well as the challenges they face, the fourth chains, while taking into account issues of chapter looks at how SEWA’s model and its gender-based power inequalities and access proven best practices can apply to African to choices and resources. organizations, especially in relation to appropriate institutional settings and human This report offers a cross-cutting com- and financial self-reliance mechanisms. parison of different models of women producer organizations from India and Africa The report concludes with some broad in order to draw broad lessons about best lessons to consider when designing and practices in institutional development within implementing programmes to mainstream producer organizations, including women- small-scale women producers in value chain based organizations and their potential role development. By doing so, this report does in the development of staple food value not intend to promote the exclusion of men, chains. The report looks at how different but rather to advocate for interventions that women producer organizations support poor will give women and men equal opportunities small-scale women farmers and workers to and ultimately support the performance better market their products, improve their of the whole value chain to the benefit of position in the agricultural value chains and rural households and local and national influence policy. economies.

SEWA organization self describes as a Banyan tree CHAPTER 2: SEWA’S MODEL TO PROMOTE WOMEN’S OPPORTUNITIES IN AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS

2. SEWA’s MODEL TO PROMOTE WOMEN’S OPPORTUNITIES IN AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS

2.1 SEWA’s mission and illness leaves them increasingly powerless and organization1 takes them into deeper poverty. For SEWA, only work and a steady source of income can The Self-employed Women’s Association break this cycle. (SEWA) was founded in 1972 by Ms Ela Bhatt as a trade union for poor self-employed Women are more vulnerable and women workers from the informal sector. powerless because they have unequal access SEWA started in the city of Ahmenabad to information and technologies, they have in Gujarat State, India among the urban to pay exorbitant interest to moneylenders poor, and then extended its activities into and they often do not own their tools of rural areas. Members work as manual production. However, they play a crucial role labourers (79.7 percent), producers (18.4 in feeding their families. percent), home-based workers (0.9 percent), service providers (0.6 percent) and vendors This is why SEWA places women at the (0.5 percent). Agriculture workers and centre of its strategy against poverty. SEWA’s small-scale farmers constitute 54 percent of main objective is to support women to SEWA’s total membership. Over the last three achieve full employment and economic and decades, SEWA evolved into a network of social self-reliance so they can move their women’s organizations that brings together families out of poverty. Self-reliance refers to 1.24 million women across 17 districts in economic or financial self-sufficiency as well Gujarat State and nine states of India (SEWA, as collective self-reliance. 2010). Seventy-five percent of SEWA’s members live in rural areas. “With collective strength, the woman is able to combat the outside exploitative Overall mission and philosophy and corrupt forces like traders and money lenders.” (Ela Bhatt, 1992, SEWA’s philosophy is inspired by Mahatma Cooperatives and Empowerment of Ghandi’s principles of non-violence and self- Women). reliance. Poverty is a form of violence. Often, poor women and men are chronic victims of SEWA’s approach includes different poverty and are more vulnerable to external entry points and multiple interventions in shocks. Every misfortune, natural disaster or order to give women the tools to change and lead their own lives. Its process involves: 1 For more information on SEWA, visit: http://www.sewa.org

5 THE ROLE OF WOMEN PRODUCER ORGANIZATIONS IN AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS

SEWA SISTER ORGANIZATIONS x organizing women at the individual and household levels into groups, helping Shree Mahila SEWA Sahakari Bank Ltd. them to identify and address their needs, SEWA Academy access productive assets and build their Gujarat State Women’s SEWA Cooperative Federation Ltd. capacity to own and manage their organizations (i.e. committees, groups or SEWA Insurance cooperatives) and be self-reliant; SEWA Mahila Facilitation Center SEWA Gram Mahila Haat x linking women’s organizations with public or private service providers. When SEWA Research needed public services are not available SEWA Manager ni School locally, SEWA helps the women create SEWA ICT organizations that will provide these services. In addition, SEWA facilitates SEWA Sanskardendra partnerships with local, state and Video SEWA national governments to allow the Shri Mahila SEWA Anasooya Trust women to benefit from government schemes, and with private actors (e.g. SEWA Eco Tourism research institutes, universities and Hansiba private companies) to enable the women SEWA Kalakruti to benefit from financial and technical assistance, when it fits the needs and Saundrya Safai Mandali capacities of the women; SEWA Bharat Homenet South Asia x lobbying at the local, state and national levels to promote policies and rules that SEWA Nirman recognize women workers, take into account their needs and concerns and to a banyan tree that spreads its branches”. support their efforts to develop local Currently there are 20 SEWA sister economic initiatives. organizations or affiliates. Each organization is independent and autonomous, both Organization and structure financially and in their decision-making processes. Each organization develops SEWA combines a women’s union, activities and services based on its members’ cooperative sister organizations and a needs and its own capacity to support these series of supportive services. The union is activities. Most SEWA sister organizations made up of elected representatives from are cooperatives, such as the SEWA Bank different trades in both rural and urban and trade cooperatives built around products areas; their role is to defend the rights of or services (e.g. midwives’ cooperatives, women workers and lobby to improve their vendors’ cooperatives, milk cooperatives, situation. gum collectors’ cooperatives).

In 2006, Ela Bhatt explained, “SEWA is a SEWA provides support services for family of organizations, similar in structure its members, such as education, health

6 CHAPTER 2: SEWA’S MODEL TO PROMOTE WOMEN’S OPPORTUNITIES IN AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS

Surendranagar – one of SEWA’s many multi-functions SEWA’s Rural Distribution network for agro-products (Rudi) district centres

Member-based organizations SEWA’s services to members in SEWA t FINANCIAL SERVICES t SOCIAL SECURITY t UNION t EDUCATION t COOPERATIVE FEDERATION t HOUSING t TRADE & SERVICE COOPERATIVES t MARKETING SERVICES t MARKETING ORGANIZATIONS t LEGAL SERVICES t DISTRICT ASSOCIATIONS t VILLAGE-BASED GROUPS (Savings & credit groups, Self-help groups, etc)

Figure 1: SEWA’s member-based organizations and services

and child care, insurance, housing and decentralized and affordable manner and communication. These services are can become a source of self-employment considered critical for women members to opportunities. In some cases, supportive achieve full employment and self-reliance. service providers have formed their own When these services are available locally cooperatives, such as the cooperative SEWA and at an affordable price, SEWA links its Bank. Members pay for the services they members with the service providers. If the receive from SEWA, thereby guaranteeing services are non-existent or not accessible, the ﬁnancial viability of the service providers SEWA trains its members to provide these and/or cooperatives. services for themselves. Support services are then provided by SEWA members in a

7 THE ROLE OF WOMEN PRODUCER ORGANIZATIONS IN AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS

Building from the grassroots level negotiates contracts with companies to provide the inputs in bulk and the inputs SEWA focuses on strengthening grassroots- are distributed through the district and level capacity to solve problems by organizing the SHG to the members. individuals into self-help groups (SHGs) or farmer development groups. Usually, SEWA’s SHGs are also crucial in the empowerment organizers first will visit the village council, of women members. Women in the SHG or panchayat, to explain what SEWA is share their experiences on microcredit, and the benefits it could bring to the whole productive activities and commercialization, community. They will then organize a and this interactive process improves their meeting to talk with women, identify some knowledge and builds their self-confidence. potential leaders and raise awareness about It also enhances their capacity to understand the importance of organizing. and analyse their problems and environment and to identify solutions. Women develop SHGs can include from 10 to 15 women. a culture of learning by doing through They have four core activities: experimentation and local adaptation. Within the SHG, women encourage each x Capacity-building: Capacity-building other to think in an entrepreneurial manner activities address topics including and to identify income-generating activities. livestock, agricultural techniques and Ultimately, the SHG is a space where women health and are organized with SEWA can develop a greater sense of competence district associations or other competent and control over their future. The SHGs institutes. offer the first step in building women’s self- confidence and autonomous capacity to x Access to financial services: A savings drive their own development. and credit group obtains credit from SEWA’s Bank, which is then redistributed to the individual members of the group. The group decides collectively about the priority beneficiaries.

x Market linkage services: These are supported by SEWA at district and state levels through fairs, Rural Distribution Network (RUDI) marketing networks2 or linkages to private companies.

x Access to inputs: SHGs communicate their needs for the quantity and quality of inputs (e.g. seeds and fertilizer) to the district association. SEWA then

2 RUDI marketing network is described in Chapter 2.4. One of SEWA’s thousands village level self-help groups

8 CHAPTER 2: SEWA’S MODEL TO PROMOTE WOMEN’S OPPORTUNITIES IN AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS

SEWA grassroots leaders, called groups, plays a critical role in identifying, “Aagewans”, are women whom the implementing and monitoring SEWA’s members trust and with whom they feel activities. comfortable discussing their needs. They are chosen by the members in the village for their SEWA grassroots and district leaders personal skills, ability and commitment to and organizers meet regularly to coordinate implement solutions agreed upon collectively. activities and exchange information. There is SEWA leaders are trained as trainers and a ratio of one elected leader for every 200 facilitators. They are instrumental in involving women, which means 6 000 grassroots local communities, building confidence and leaders all contributing to the elaboration facilitating group cohesion around common and implementation of the organization’s goals. Additionally, they are the critical links strategy (Jhabvala R. et al., 2009, SEWA- between members and SEWA’s schemes. UNIFEM). This decentralization of the decision-making process is a key feature of When members of an SHG are faced with the organization’s governance structure. a problem, they first discuss it within the group. If the problem cannot be solved at Women members are fully aware of the village level, there is a system of two-way SEWA’s role and of their own role within the information flow: the group’s leaders meet organization. Every new member attends regularly and share their concerns with the a “member’s education programme”. This next level of SEWA organization, the district programme includes an explanation of association. The district association, a SEWA’s core values, activities and approach. federation of the village SHGs or farmers’ It enables women to understand the power

Activities provided by SEWA District Association Example of Boledi district organization

Economic Social Education

Agriculture Credit Capacity building Forest Savings Management Water Insurance Technical skills RUDI Health

Figure 2: An example of SEWA’s district association activities

9 THE ROLE OF WOMEN PRODUCER ORGANIZATIONS IN AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS

30 000 members of SEWA organized in groups

1 200 leaders at village level

645 trade committee members

152 SEWA representatives at district level

1 district representative at SEWA executive committee

Figure 3: SEWA grass-root organizational structure (example from Boledi District in Gujarat)

of being organized3 and their own power SEWA is constantly changing, evolving to and strength to change their lives and help answer the needs of new members. It is a others do the same. Sharing the same values learning process, which requires continuous is key to retaining motivated members. innovation and alliances with strategic partners (e.g. agricultural universities, Members also are involved in the marketing and export organizations, decision-making processes and organs of government programmes and schemes SEWA. All women, even at the grassroots and outside business, technical and level, are given the opportunity and capacity management experts). All such partner- to be part of the different decision-making ships and alliances are pursued for the organs, including the executive committee purpose of ensuring members employment (see Figure 2). In that sense, 80 percent of opportunities, enhancing their human capital the SEWA executive committee comes from and strengthening their self-reliance. The grassroots members. The remaining 20 objectives of the organizations remain the percent is composed of competent individuals same: to achieve full employment and self- hired by SEWA from the outside. Another of reliance. SEWA’s principles that brings accountability is that the remuneration ratio between its 2.2 SEWA’s needs-based approach highest and lowest paid staff is 3:1. To achieve the goals of full employment and self-reliance, SEWA uses an integrated and 3 SEWA’s motto is “our unity is our strength”. demand-based approach which combines:

10 CHAPTER 2: SEWA’S MODEL TO PROMOTE WOMEN’S OPPORTUNITIES IN AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS

(1) addressing poor households’ social and economic issues; and Box 1: (2) developing interventions Questions SEWA members use to led by the women to promote measure impact economic opportunities, build social and productive assets and 1. Have more members obtained more employment? reduce vulnerability to livelihood 2. Has their income increased? shocks (e.g. natural disasters and ill 3. Have they obtained food and nutrition? health). The approach is based on 4. Has their health been safeguarded? four key activities: 5. Have they obtained child care? 6. Have they obtained or improved their housing? x organizing women to increase 7. Have their assets increased? their bargaining power and 8. Has the workers’ organizational strength increased? collective strength and beneﬁt 9. Has workers’ leadership increased? from private and public 10. Have they become self-reliant both collectively and supportive programmes; individually? 11. Has their education increased? x facilitating access to social services for women and their families (i.e. health care, child households’ needs, capacity and priorities. care and shelter); SEWA asks the women many questions about their social and economic situation, x building women’s capacity by facilitating skills, needs, problems and aspirations. This their access to education, technology, is done through action-oriented research knowledge and information; such as censuses, baseline surveys, socio- economic surveys and diagnostic studies. x facilitating capital formation through asset The results of these studies are very useful in ownership and access to ﬁnancial services guiding SEWA’s actions and enabling SEWA (i.e. savings, insurance and credit). to design adequate supportive services. Following its needs-based approach, SEWA “It is important that we ensure supports communities and undertakes that the poor imbibe all the four campaigns to respond to the concerns raised components simultaneously, and by the women members. in the combination that they think is viable and manageable by them. In addition, through its research, SEWA One without the other does not yield has been able to document the condition of results. One after the other also makes self-employed women and their contribution no sense. This is a very important to the economy. SEWA has used this point.” (Does empowerment matter information to lobby for government schemes for economic development?, Reema to reach the poorest women and for policies Nanavaty, SEWA 2000). to include self-employed women’s concerns and needs in local, national and international SEWA begins by conducting a needs- policy. Research has also been important based assessment of the women and their to understand and document the effect of

11 THE ROLE OF WOMEN PRODUCER ORGANIZATIONS IN AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS

Box 2: SEWA’s development approach in action: The salt workers of Surendranagar district

Seventy percent of Indian salt production comes from Gujarat State. Most of the salt is produced from fresh seawater, but a large amount is produced inland by the salt farmers, or agaria , of Surendranagar district (SEWA, 2003). Their work conditions are very difﬁcult. In September, the whole family leaves the villages for six months to go to work and live in the desert where the salt ponds are located. In that desert environment, they are faced with problems including a lack of drinking water and food; children being left alone for long hours while the parents work; a lack of access to formal credit; and poor capacity to market the salt collected.

SEWA helped the agarias tackle one problem at a time. They started small, guided by the women’s declared priorities. The focus Salt worker in field was first on setting up a child care centre so that women could go to work without worrying about their children’s well-being. Local women who could not work anymore in the salt ponds were trained to work in this centre. In light of the success of this first initiative, the very next year, five more centres were established and in two more years, there were 21 centres in the area. This initiative helped women solve one of their biggest worries – their children’s well-being – and created a relationship of trust with SEWA.

At that time, SEWA initiated a survey to better understand the salt workers’ economic situation. One of the recurring problems women faced was their dependency on moneylenders and traders for access to credit, which caused them to be in debt regularly. SEWA facilitated the organization of SHGs and savings and credit groups for women to access loans through SEWA’s bank. SEWA also lobbied for women’s groups to receive ﬁnancial support from government schemes and technical training from a Salt Research Institute. Additionally, SEWA helped salt farmers negotiate fair prices with salt traders and facilitated linkages to markets.

As part of SEWA’s water campaign (described below), SEWA supported women agarias to build water reservoirs in the villages with some support from the government (i.e. 70 percent of the support came from the State and 30 percent came from the women’s labour contribution) and to train barefoot technicians in plumbing. The State recognized the success of this initiative and gave the women the right to manage and maintain local water infrastructures.

SEWA’s pragmatic and incremental approach to supporting salt workers was successful because it took into account the priorities of the salt workers and combined a Explaining SEWA’s salt making program during EEP range of activities to encourage their self-reliance: organizing them into groups to strengthen their bargaining power, facilitating their access to markets and social services (e.g. child care centres, water management) and providing them with technical assistance and access to credit.

12 CHAPTER 2: SEWA’S MODEL TO PROMOTE WOMEN’S OPPORTUNITIES IN AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS

policies and government schemes on the welfare of poor women at the grassroots Box 3: level. Future commodity price board

Members have been trained to be an To facilitate access to price information on integral part of the research team. Today important agrocommodities, the community SEWA has an extended and decentralized centre lists current and future (three months) network of grassroots researchers who can market prices on a board. This information is capture the effectiveness of a programme sent every week by sms from SEWA Ahmedabad and communicate their experiences (See Box to the village and recorded on the board. For 1). control purposes, one woman is charged with writing the price information on the board and Targeted campaigns to improve a second woman takes a picture of the board conditions for rural women and sends it back to Ahmadabad.

Rural women workers face common constraints and hardships. In order to induce widespread awareness and action to improve in village-level farmers’ organizations, the living and working conditions of these especially to access credit and quality inputs women and to press for policy changes, and to increase women’s bargaining power. SEWA launched a number of campaigns in These organizations were supported with 1995. Three of these campaigns are brieﬂy technical training in agricultural practices described below: and access to equipment through the creation of an equipment and tools library. Agricultural campaign: According to the SEWA village groups would identify tools National Commission for Enterprises in the and equipment they needed, pool their Unorganized Sector (NCEUS), 72.8 percent of savings to purchase one tool, and then loan women were involved in agriculture activities that tool to individual members for a fee on in India in 2007 compared with 48.9 percent a rotating basis as needed. The agriculture of men (SEWA, 2009). However, women campaign also facilitated access to future are not considered to be farmers and their prices of agrocommodities (see Box 3) and contributions are not recognized. Moreover, encouraged the farmers to organize Krishi they face unequal access to information and Bazaars – farmers’ markets – locally and in technologies, productive assets and markets. Ahmedabad.

Based on this reality, SEWA launched Water campaign: Access to water is its agricultural campaign which includes a major issue affecting most of SEWA’s interventions in a number of areas: rural members, who have to spend four or recognition of women as farmers, access five hours looking for and collecting water. to microfinance, access to productive The time spent fetching water represents assets (especially seeds and fertilizers), significant forgone income for women and access to technology and capacity building, their families. The objective of the water and market linkages. A crucial tool in this campaign was to give members and their campaign was the organization of women families easy access to clean drinking water.

13 THE ROLE OF WOMEN PRODUCER ORGANIZATIONS IN AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS

SEWA first undertook a survey at the district level among the neediest villages Box 4: in order to better understand the situation Spreading its expertise: SEWA’s and problems related to water access. SEWA assistance to Afghan women worked with local water village committees to encourage women’s active participation At the request of the Indian Government, SEWA in these committees, since they are the main initiated a development programme to support water collectors and users. This was a real widows in Afghanistan. After conducting its challenge as most water committees were initial survey in the field, SEWA identified three run by traditional or local authorities led by areas for activities with the Afghan widows (i.e. men. Most of the time, however, attitudes clothing, processing fruits and vegetables and changed because of the positive results of reforestation), and focused its support on food the women’s actions. SEWA concentrated on processing. building the capacity of these committees to develop, implement and monitor action plans Ten Afghan women leaders were selected including creating a water community fund. to travel to India to be trained as trainers in Technical and logistical skills were provided to food processing. Those ten leaders returned members to operate, improve and maintain home and trained 400 women. As a result, community-based water supply systems (e.g. women developed processed products and roof rainwater harvesting tanks, traditional sold them in school canteens in Kabul. An water sources, community ponds and wells). economic association that will bring together these women is in the process of being With the repair and improvement of registered. The second phase of the project water supply systems, the availability of will focus on institutional capacity building, water throughout the year increased and vocational training of women in rural areas and the quality of water improved. Women information and communication technology. had to spend less time collecting water, which enabled them to spend more time on SEWA is also sharing its expertise in other economic activities. This had a positive impact SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional on the income and health of the women and Cooperation) countries like Bangladesh, their families. Another significant output Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri was the creation of a network of “barefoot Lanka. water technicians” – SEWA members trained in plumbing who could repair and maintain hand pumps.

Forestry campaign: In some of the of the forest campaign was to give women Gujarat districts, the poorest women depend the opportunity to engage in forest-related on forest and nursery raising for their economic activities as a means to secure livelihood; however, they do not have any employment and a regular income. usage rights over the forest. Furthermore, there is hardly any technical support available In the village of Ganeshpura in Mehsana to the women who would like to take up district, SEWA lobbied the village panchayat forestry as an economic activity. The objective for a plot of 10 hectares to be given to a

14 CHAPTER 2: SEWA’S MODEL TO PROMOTE WOMEN’S OPPORTUNITIES IN AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS

group of women workers to practise farm Literacy and vocational programmes forestry. The land was given on a 30-year lease. Women had to work for three years When schools and training centres in to clean the land and make it arable. During Ahmedabad refused to train poor women, these three years, SEWA supported their SEWA decided to create its own academy in livelihood by compensating them financially 1991, which it called SEWA Academy, also to make up for the absence of income. SEWA known as the “University for Poor Women”. also facilitated the linkages between the One of its first programmes was the literacy women and the forest department to receive programme in the slum areas of Ahmedabad. seeds and the agriculture university to receive SEWA identified a few women who had technical assistance. Later, women were some basic education and trained them to trained to produce and use vermicompost to become teachers in their neighbourhood. increase farm productivity and to sell part of Each female student would pay 5 rupees this compost to other farmers for additional (US$.10) per month to attend literacy classes. income. The impacts of the literacy programme on women’s empowerment are visible: (1) To safeguard their rights on the land, the women can attend parent-teacher meetings women formed a Women Tree Growers’ because now they can sign their names; (2) Cooperative. Today, the cooperative sells not women encourage their children to do their only agricultural and forestry products, but homework; and (3) the women can take also some processed food such as pickles and the bus without asking anyone in which juices. Recently the cooperative has launched direction it goes. SEWA also initiated the an ecotourism activity to generate additional income.

2.3 Building women’s capacity to transform their lives One of the most significant barriers faced by women in India is their low level of literacy; education is key to achieving self-reliance and fighting poverty. Very early, SEWA realized that most existing literacy classes and training programmes were not adapted to the needs and capacities of poor and marginalized women. Therefore, SEWA created the SEWA Academy to provide a wide range of literacy, technical and vocational programmes designed around its members’ needs and capacities. Some of these programmes are described below. SEWA members in financial training session at SEWA bank

15 THE ROLE OF WOMEN PRODUCER ORGANIZATIONS IN AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS

‘JEEVANSHALA’ life education programme, which offers training in practical and Box 5: functional literacy and life skills (e.g. conflict Developing a needs-based curriculum resolution, bargaining and negotiating with for master trainers contractors, operating specific equipment) that are relevant to the women’s skills and SEWA partnered with an agricultural university trades. to implement a new skills development initiative and to build a technical curriculum adapted to In 2005, SEWA founded the SEWA the women’s needs and capacities. It was not Managers’ School. Based in Ahmedabad, an easy process to convince the university to the school serves as a capacity-building provide a curriculum tailored to low-literate institution, facilitating economic self- women. Eventually, SEWA and the university sustainability by developing a cadre of agreed on a 21-day programme entitled grassroots managers. By training members “Master Trainers”, instead of the regular six- to become managers and leaders, SEWA’s month agricultural course. Managers’ School strengthens other organizations and contributes to women’s SEWA selected1 a group of women and a financial self-reliance. The women who few men to be trained as master trainers. They receive training are chosen by their peers, chose the topics that were relevant for their ensuring that they will be respected and own villages and districts. Most of them had given high-level accountability within their to take a loan from the local public agricultural organizations. This helps centralize the association to pay the course fees. The group leadership of SEWA’s various cooperatives spent all 21 days in the university. The first and organizations. The school has also curriculum focused on three subjects: (1) expanded and fortified the relationships seed production, (2) greenhouse production, among SEWA, its members and many and (3) integrated farm management. At the private-sector organizations. end of the course, the participants received a certificate, which is recognized by the Indian SEWA also created a computer literacy Ministry of Agriculture. After the course, they programme in response to mothers’ had to prepare a business plan including a requests to provide training for their presentation of the training programme that daughters. The first programme selected they would offer in their district and the related 18 girls out of 120 applicants, based on expected costs and incomes. To help them in their level of motivation and basic skills. this task, they received an introduction on how SEWA organized classes to upgrade the to build a business plan. SEWA also organized girls’ basic education so that they could a one-day workshop with a business consultant follow a six-month computer course. to evaluate their plans and a training module in Upon completion, the students received microenterprise management. a computer certificate and an English certificate.

1 The selection criteria were to be a SEWA member, an individual trusted in his/her community and literate.

16 CHAPTER 2: SEWA’S MODEL TO PROMOTE WOMEN’S OPPORTUNITIES IN AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS

Recently, SEWA initiated a vocational skill-building programme called “Swavlamban”4 for poor women workers from the informal sector. The core objective of this programme is to build women’s self- reliance through capacity building in various technical areas identiﬁed as important by SEWA members. These include: (1) textile and garmenting; (2) agro and food processing; (3) agriculture and nursery; (4) rural infrastructure (e.g. roads and sanitation); (5) renewable energy; (6) information and communication technologies; (7) paramedical training; (8) veterinary training; (9) salt farming; and (10) microenterprise management.

An initiative similar to Swavlamban on plumbing and sanitation is being undertaken in partnership with an industrial training SEWA members during video production institute. SEWA has built other strategic partnerships with Anand Agriculture radio station. The programme included University (Gujarat) and India Space Research storytelling that raised social and economic Organization to link farmers and researchers issues around women’s empowerment. through its Village Resource Centres. The After six months, SEWA undertook a survey Resource Centres organize teleconference to discover what kinds of information sessions where farmers present their problems interested the people.5 The radio programme directly to researchers and discuss solutions. was a big success, and eventually SEWA was Researchers can get a better understanding able to have its own studio and launch the of farmers’ constraints and priorities and ﬁrst Indian radio station fully managed by develop suitable solutions. women. Currently, the radio team goes to rural areas to tape programmes and offers The SEWA Academy also organizes four hours of broadcasting. training and exposure programmes for women workers’ organizations from other SEWA also promotes work in video countries and international development production. Video SEWA started in 1984 organizations. after Ela Bhatt – then General Secretary of SEWA – travelled to Mali in the early 1980s Communication tools and was inspired by women, similar to SEWA members, creating their own videotapes. In 2004, the SEWA Academy launched a She believed videotapes could be used to 15-minute radio programme on the Gujarati

5 The survey identiﬁed the main topics of interest: how 4 “Swavlamban” in Gujarati means self-reliance. to start a microenterprise and HIV/AIDS.

17 THE ROLE OF WOMEN PRODUCER ORGANIZATIONS IN AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS

educate women about their rights and market. They have no negotiating power, provide training. Thirty-five women members lack the knowledge to improve the quality and workers participated in the initial of their production and lack information training in video production; one-third were to access markets. In addition, women are non-literate and another third had less than traditionally exploited by moneylenders high school-level education.6 In 2001, SEWA who often are their only source of cash created its audiovisual cooperative. Videos for business credit. To overcome these are used to defend women street vendors’ constraints, SEWA implemented a number rights in court, to raise awareness and to of initiatives to facilitate access to financial provide training. capital, information, technologies and linkages with suppliers and traders. Some of 2.4. Enabling women farmers these initiatives are described below. to engage in sustainable SEWA Bank: Access to financial economic activities services and financial literacy Agriculture in India is driven mostly by small-scale women farmers and agricultural Ela Bhatt, founder of SEWA, realized very workers. However, their contribution to the early that lack of access to credit was a country’s economic development is invisible major constraint for poor women workers to and they have very little influence on the develop any economic activity. Public banks were not adapted to these women who were mainly illiterate, had no collateral and little knowledge about how to use or manage 6 Participants were mainly vegetable street vendors and cigarette rollers. credit efficiently.

SEWA’S owns and operates its own cooperative-type bank since 1974

18 CHAPTER 2: SEWA’S MODEL TO PROMOTE WOMEN’S OPPORTUNITIES IN AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS

As a result, SEWA Bank was started in attend a financial literacy programme. 1974, two years after SEWA began. The first The bank will also undertake a specific years were challenging because poor women diagnostic of a woman‘s economic and were not used to saving money. SEWA had social situation through interviews and visits to raise awareness among women about in the household to evaluate her capacity the importance of having a bank account to borrow and repay. This approach to risk and saving a small amount of money on a management significantly improves the loan regular basis. They illustrated this concept by repayment rate, which exceeds 95 percent, comparing it with the common practice of on average. saving some money for the temple. For the first two years, SEWA Bank built up its own The services provided by the bank help capital with deposits before giving loans. women avoid exploitative moneylenders, build their own savings and assets, release “In December 1973, in a meeting, their mortgaged land in some cases, minimize members came for-ward with their their vulnerability (through insurance) solution for exploitative moneylenders and learn about financial and business and the vicious cycle of debt. Four management. thousand members contributed share capital of Rs. 10 each and the “I used to buy vegetables for Rs.100 Mahila SEWA Cooperative Bank was on credit in the morning from the established in May 1974.” (SEWA). wholesaler. At the end of the day, I would repay Rs.110 to him. I paid SEWA Bank is a cooperative-type bank daily interest of 10 percent. SEWA that targets poor women from the informal Bank gave me my first loan of Rs.2000 sector. Its main objective is to help women for buying vegetables. They gave me come out of poverty by providing them with three years to repay it, at an interest financial services adapted to their situation rate of 17 percent per year. I repaid and capacities. SEWA Bank designed it in six months and have taken many financial products to meet the women’s more loans from SEWA Bank since needs: insurance schemes for emergency then. That first loan from SEWA needs such as illness or death in the family; Bank enabled me to get out of the savings schemes for planned needs such as moneylender’s trap and to upscale children’s education or weddings; and credit my business turnover and my profits.” for business needs such as the purchase of Rajiben, vegetable vendor, SEWA Bank equipment. The bank created a door-to-door client (www.sewabank.com). service so that savings could be collected regularly without requiring the women to SEWA Bank’s shareholders are poor travel to the bank. When women come to women who hold an account and have the bank, the staff helps them complete the access to bank financial services. The necessary administrative forms and gives bank is financially self-sufficient and pays financial advice. Any member who takes dividends (currently 15 percent per share) out a loan must first demonstrate sound to its clients, all of whom are shareholders. financial performance by saving regularly Currently, the bank has 450 000 accounts for six months. In addition, they have to and gives loans of 20 000 rupees (US$444),

19 THE ROLE OF WOMEN PRODUCER ORGANIZATIONS IN AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS

on average. Interest rates vary according to different ﬁnancial products and amounts requested (e.g. for a loan term of one to ten years, the interest rate is from 6.0 to 18.5 percent). Thanks to its commercial interest rates and members’ high repayment record, SEWA Bank successfully remains self-sustainable, without government subsidies.

The SEWA Gram Mahila Haat: Support services and market opportunities

The SEWA Gram Mahila Haat was created in 1999 as a SEWA sister organization, with the cooperation and support of the Government of Gujarat. The organization’s main objective is to enable rural producers to have a regular income by providing market-related and technical support and identifying local and national marketing opportunities. The SEWA African women group visit to a district-level RUDI agro- Gram Mahila Haat facilitates linkages with processing centre run by SEWA members markets and private companies for 10 000

Procurement in Processing and Distribution in Distributionat bulk and trans- packaging in a RUDI villages clusters household level port district centre (15-20 villages)

Sales women Women in Retailers Farmers’ processing & groups Women packaging Promotion sales Cons

Admin Sales women

Figure 4: An example of SEWA’s district association activities

20 CHAPTER 2: SEWA’S MODEL TO PROMOTE WOMEN’S OPPORTUNITIES IN AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS

producers’ groups in nine districts across RUDI: A rural distribution network four value chains: agricultural products; system handicrafts; salt production; and forest products. The Rural Distribution Network (RUDI) was initiated in 2004 and was ofﬁcially The SEWA Gram Mahila Haat organization, incorporated in 2007 as part of SEWA’s with the help of SEWA’s district association, overall strategy to support the local or undertakes activities to address constraints ‘village economy’ by enabling small-scale faced by small-scale farmers in accessing farmers to sell their produce at a fair price markets. The organization provides: and rural consumers to have access to good quality products. RUDI works with SEWA’s x marketing facilities and services (e.g. district association to link different groups information on spot and future prices); along the value chain and generate gains for rural producer groups, processors, buyers x managerial and technical support services and retailers. to producers so they can become owners/ managers of their collective enterprises; SEWA’s district association procures agricultural products directly from SEWA x working capital assistance. farmers’ groups at market prices. By doing

Example 1: Sesame procurement, processing and distribution under RUDI (Surendnaragar district)

Quantity procured from the district 5 300 kg Sesame supply No. of farmers (suppliers) 32 No of villages 8 Prices offered to farmers (seling sesame) Range from Rs. 60.00 to Rs. 65.00 (depending on quality) Quantity distributed at four processing centres 1 000 kg per district (4 000 total) Quantity sent to other districts other than the processing centre Based on their need approx. 200 kg Processing sesame Number of women involved in 12 to 15 per centre (vary according processing to demand) Capacity of women involved 3 000 packets per day in packaging and processing is 3 000 packets (of 500 g or 1 kg) per day Returns to processing women 0.40 rupee per packet Selling price of sesame to Rudiben (women sellers) Rs 90.00 per kg Rudiben proﬁt margin from selling to ﬁnal consumers 5% of the selling price A minimum of 25 active RUDiben’s in each district

21 THE ROLE OF WOMEN PRODUCER ORGANIZATIONS IN AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS

Example 2: Chili procurement, processing and distribution under RUDI (Surendnaragar district)

Quantity procured from the district 5 300 kg Sesame supply No. of farmers (suppliers) 52 No of villages 14 Prices offered to farmers (seling sesame) Range from Rs. 90.00 to Rs. 95.00 (depending on quality) Quantity distributed at four processing centres 2 000 kg per district (4 000 total) Quantity sent to other districts other than the processing centre Based on their need approx. 300 kg Processing chili (stem cutting and cleaning) 100 g loss per kg Drying of whole chili before 50 g loss per kg grinding (moisture loss) Dgrinding whole chili 0.2% weight loss Number of women involved in 12 to 15 per centre (vary according processing to demand) Capacity of women involved 3 000 packets per day in packaging and processing is 3 000 packets (of 500g or 1 kg) per day Returns to processing women 0.40 rupee per packet Selling price of sesame to Rudiben (women sellers) Rs. 168.00 per kg Rudiben proﬁt margin from selling to ﬁnal consumers 10% of the selling price A minimum of 25 active RUDiben’s in each district

so, it reduces the influence of intermediaries, some cases, RUDIbens will also provide other enabling small-scale farmers to get the best products for the households. price for their production. The products are transported to the district RUDI centre to be With this model, poor rural women operate cleaned, inspected, processed, weighed and and manage all parts of the value chain. In packaged. Processed goods are packaged order to do this efficiently, these women receive under the RUDI brand. RUDI saleswomen, technical training from SEWA at all stages or RUDIbens, then buy the goods from the (e.g. procurement, processing, packaging processing centre and sell them directly to and quality control) and on topics including households in villages through promotional hygiene, business management and institutional activities or to other women retailers management (e.g. good governance, meetings, in the villages. Products also are sold recording, planning and partnerships). through different events at the village and district levels. RUDIbens earn a 10 percent RUDI was launched as an experiment in commission on any products they sell. In the Sabarkantha district. Since then, five

22 CHAPTER 2: SEWA’S MODEL TO PROMOTE WOMEN’S OPPORTUNITIES IN AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS

Inside SEWA’ s clothing trade facilitation centre

RUDI processing centres have been opened, women were depending on daily wage catering to 14 districts in Gujarat. Each district labour and that their incomes could barely processing centre specializes in a range of support their household livelihoods. SEWA agrocommodities, depending on market also discovered that these women had demand (e.g. Surendranagar specializes in valuable traditional embroidery skills, but spices and Anand in salt). RUDI centres strive were unaware of their commercial value. to be economically sustainable. SEWA identified a few women leaders, provided them with raw material kits and RUDI creates many employment opportu- offered them the opportunity to produce nities at the village level and generates a flow embroideries and sell them to SEWA. It took of money within the villages, strengthening some time to build trust with these women; the rural economy. Although RUDI is focused however, they eventually saw that SEWA primarily on processing and marketing, it paid a fair price for their work and that with plays a significant role in the development of this income they were able to earn enough whole agrocommodities supply chains. RUDI to feed their families. aims to expand its market by increasing the variety of agrocommodities processed and This craft production had the potential by reaching other rural villages through its to ensure sustainable livelihoods for these saleswomen (the RUDIbens), who are also in households and needed to be upscaled. In charge of promotion activities. 2003, SEWA helped the craftswomen create the SEWA Trade Facilitation Centre (STFC), a SEWA’s Trade Facilitation Centre: not-for-profit company owned and managed Marketing craftwork by some 30 000 artisans across 44 villages, to expand marketing efforts at the national When SEWA began working in Kutch and and global levels. Embroideries are done by Patan districts, it realized that poor rural women in the villages and sent to the STFC

23 THE ROLE OF WOMEN PRODUCER ORGANIZATIONS IN AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS

production facility for quality control, sewing, x a pragmatic and incremental approach, storage and marketing. Today their products experimenting and expanding with the are sold in three shops in Ahmedabad, New available resources; Delhi and Mumbai under the Hansiba brand, through private orders and via the Internet x the capacity to build fruitful partner- (http://www.sewatfc.org). ships that will answer the needs of its members. The strength of these marketing efforts lies in the fact that the women are gradually These elements are detailed below. becoming the managers and owners of their business through local groups, which are Organizing and connecting through federated into district-level cooperatives. By involvement organizing themselves at different levels, the women increase their collective bargaining SEWA facilitates group formation and strength and work together to improve the discussions so that women and communities quality of products. can collectively analyse and identify their needs, challenges and solutions. This 2.5 Strengths and limits of SEWA’s participatory approach is an empowering model process through which women learn about their rights, realize the importance SEWA’s success is seen in its longevity, its of organizing to build collective strength constantly increasing membership and the and develop their capacity to solve their recognition it receives at local, national communities’ problems. and international levels. Thousands of members can describe how joining SEWA With SEWA’s guidance, this process leads changed their lives and improved their to the development of decentralized, needs- prospects. Women learn that their work is based, economic and social organizations valuable and that they have rights, voices managed and owned by women. Facilitating and the capacity to lift their families out the successful implementation of these of poverty. But what accounts for SEWA’s organizations requires identifying and success? And is this successful model training grassroots leaders. replicable elsewhere? Today, SEWA brings together a network The following factors contribute to of formal and informal organizations (e.g. SEWA’s efﬁciency, expansion and longevity: SHGs, saving and credit groups, a bank, district associations, trade committees, trade x an amazing capacity to organize women and marketing cooperatives). They support and communities and create networks of and learn from each other – to the beneﬁt organizations at the grassroots level; of their members – and are connected at different levels. Rural workers and farmers x an organizational model based on values, are connected with each other and with a strong sense of ownership and a large local and traditional authorities, technical base of committed women leaders; institutes and private companies.

24 CHAPTER 2: SEWA’S MODEL TO PROMOTE WOMEN’S OPPORTUNITIES IN AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS

Commitment to a democratic and Box 6: inclusive organizational model Building local organizations that outlast government schemes SEWA’s model is rooted in Gandhi’s philosophy, which works across social and caste barriers. /Ŷ ϭϵϵϯ͕ ƚŚĞ ĐŽŶƐƚƌƵĐƟŽŶ ŽĨ Ă ĚĂŵ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ Because SEWA’s members share values and ŽĚĞůŝ ĚŝƐƚƌŝĐƚ ƌĞƐƵůƚĞĚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƌĞůŽĐĂƟŽŶ face common constraints and struggles, they ŽĨ Ɛŝǆ ǀŝůůĂŐĞƐ͘ &ĂŵŝůŝĞƐ ŚĂĚ ƚŽ ůĞĂǀĞ ĨĞƌƟůĞ emphasize mutual assistance and assimilation. ůĂŶĚƐŽŶǁŚŝĐŚƚŚĞǇƵƐĞĚƚŽĚĞƉĞŶĚĨŽƌƚŚĞŝƌ Their aim – to achieve self-employment and ůŝǀĞůŝŚŽŽĚƐ͘dŚĞ'ŽǀĞƌŶŵĞŶƚŝŶǀŝƚĞĚ^tƚŽ self-reliance – transcends any intercultural ĂƐƐŝƐƚǁŝƚŚƚŚĞƌĞƐĞƩůĞŵĞŶƚŽĨƚŚĞƐĞǀŝůůĂŐĞƌƐ͘ or religious tensions. This collective strength, based on Gandhian principles, is also key to ^t ďĞŐĂŶ ďǇ ĐŽŶĚƵĐƟŶŐ Ă ĮĞůĚ ƐƵƌǀĞǇ the women’s determination and courage to ǁŚŝĐŚ ŚĞůƉĞĚ ƚŽ ŝĚĞŶƟĨǇ ƚŚĞ ǀŝůůĂŐĞƌƐ͛ sometimes defy their families, traditional rules or ŵŽƐƚ ƵƌŐĞŶƚ ŶĞĞĚƐ ĂŶĚ ŚŽǁ ƚŚĞ ƉĞŽƉůĞ͕ public authorities in order to pursue their goals. ĞƐƉĞĐŝĂůůǇ ƚŚĞ ǁŽŵĞŶ ĂŶĚ ĐŚŝůĚƌĞŶ͕ ǁĞƌĞ ĂīĞĐƚĞĚďǇƚŚĞƌĞƐĞƩůĞŵĞŶƚ͘ĂƐĞĚŽŶƚŚĞ SEWA is not run just by one or a few ƌĞƐƵůƚƐĂŶĚƌĞĐŽŵŵĞŶĚĂƟŽŶƐŽĨƚŚĞƐƵƌǀĞǇ͕ strong leaders, but by thousands of poor ƚŚĞ'ŽǀĞƌŶŵĞŶƚĂƐŬĞĚ^tƚŽŝŵƉůĞŵĞŶƚ women. Members share a strong feeling Ă ƚŚƌĞĞͲǇĞĂƌ ƉƌŽũĞĐƚ ;ϭϵϵϯʹϭϵϵϱͿ ƚŽ ŚĞůƉ of ownership in their organization, which ĨĂŵŝůŝĞƐŝŵƉƌŽǀĞƚŚĞŝƌŚŽƵƐŝŶŐĐŽŶĚŝƟŽŶƐ͘ means that they are highly motivated and committed. Their shared values promote ^tŽƌŐĂŶŝǌĞĚǁŽŵĞŶĂŶĚŝĚĞŶƟĮĞĚůĞĂĚĞƌƐ solidarity and reduce conflicts; strong social ŝŶ ƚŚĞ Ɛŝǆ ǀŝůůĂŐĞƐ͘ tŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ ŚĞůƉ ŽĨ ƚŚĞƐĞ cohesion among SEWA members can be seen ůĞĂĚĞƌƐ͕ ^t ĐŽŶƚĂĐƚĞĚ ƚŚĞ ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞƌƐ ŽĨ at all levels of the organization. A transparent ŐŽǀĞƌŶŵĞŶƚƐĞƌǀŝĐĞƐƚŽĞŶƐƵƌĞƚŚĞĂǀĂŝůĂďŝůŝƚǇ and efficient information system among ŽĨƌĂƟŽŶĐĂƌĚƐ͕ǁĂƚĞƌ͕ĞůĞĐƚƌŝĐŝƚǇĂŶĚŝƌƌŝŐĂƟŽŶ members at village, district and management ŝŶĨƌĂƐƚƌƵĐƚƵƌĞ͘^tƚŚĞŶŚĞůƉĞĚƚŚĞŐƌŽƵƉƐ levels contributes to this cohesion. ĚĞǀĞůŽƉ ĂŐƌŝĐƵůƚƵƌĂů ĂĐƟǀŝƟĞƐ ĚƵƌŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ƌĂŝŶǇƐĞĂƐŽŶĂŶĚĨŽŽĚƉƌŽĐĞƐƐŝŶŐĂŶĚƉŽƵůƚƌǇ SEWA gives women the tools to become ĂĐƟǀŝƟĞƐĚƵƌŝŶŐƚŚĞĚƌǇƐĞĂƐŽŶ͘ leaders and entrepreneurs and to decide about their own future. Every activity ŌĞƌƚŚƌĞĞǇĞĂƌƐ͕ƚŚĞƉƌŽũĞĐƚĞŶĚĞĚ͘ĞƐƉŝƚĞ includes capacity building and training of ƚŚĞ ĞŶĚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ 'ŽǀĞƌŶŵĞŶƚ͛Ɛ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƚ͕ ƚŚĞ trainers and leaders at grassroots levels. As ǁŽŵĞŶ ůĞĂĚĞƌƐ ĚĞĐŝĚĞĚ ƚŽ ĐŽŶƟŶƵĞ ƚŚĞŝƌ entrepreneurs, women learn to manage and ǁŽƌŬǁŝƚŚ^t͕ĂŶĚŝŶϭϵϵϱ͕ǁŽŵĞŶĨƌŽŵ control their own groups and cooperatives. ŽĚĞůŝ ĐƌĞĂƚĞĚ ĂŶ ĞĐŽŶŽŵŝĐ ĂƐƐŽĐŝĂƟŽŶ They learn how to save money, strive for ƌĞŐŝƐƚĞƌĞĚĂƚƚŚĞĚŝƐƚƌŝĐƚůĞǀĞů͗^ƵŬŚŝDƵŚŝůĂ financial sustainability, express their needs ^t DƵŶĚĂů͘ ^ŝŶĐĞ ƚŚĞŶ͕ ƚŚĞ ĚŝƐƚƌŝĐƚ and make decisions based on their capacity. ĂƐƐŽĐŝĂƟŽŶ ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞƐ ĞĐŽŶŽŵŝĐ͕ ƐŽĐŝĂů ĂŶĚ In addition, SEWA builds the capacity of ĞĚƵĐĂƟŽŶ ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞƐ ƚŽ ǁŽŵĞŶ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞŝƌ poor and illiterate women to engage and ĨĂŵŝůŝĞƐĨƌŽŵƚŚĞƐŝǆǀŝůůĂŐĞƐĂŶĚŚĂƐĂůƐŽ reach the highest levels of leadership in the ĞǆƚĞŶĚĞĚŝƚƐƐĞƌǀŝĐĞƐƚŽŽƚŚĞƌǀŝůůĂŐĞƐ͘ organization. In this process, women build their self-esteem; they are aware that poverty

25 THE ROLE OF WOMEN PRODUCER ORGANIZATIONS IN AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS

is not a fate; and they receive the knowledge, “SEWA’s policy has been to go through capacity and resources to act. the long and difficult process of empowering grassroots-level people Ability to experiment and grow at to run their own organizations. When their own pace women learn at their own pace, they change their lives and their environment SEWA does not have a blueprint action plan. for the better and for the long term.” Instead, it evolves based on the needs and (Bhatt, 2006). concerns of members. This process requires repeated experimentation, adaption and Capacity to build fruitful partnerships eventually expansion. Often SEWA will support women’s groups to develop an SEWA takes a very pragmatic approach to economic activity and build their technical partnerships. It receives cooperation and and financial capacity before creating a support from the local community, state and cooperative or other type of organization central government, industries, universities, (e.g. Tree Growers’ Cooperative, RUDI, donors and organizations from India and Facilitation Trade Centre). It is not an easy abroad. SEWA’s principle is that partnerships or linear process; progress can be slow, with should support its members’ perspective and ups and downs. However, SEWA members values. SEWA’s members have the capacity do not think in terms of failure or success to organize and build up cooperatives to a but in terms of struggle. Their remarkable certain scale with available technical support determination has been critical in turning and access to microfinance so that members’ obstacles into opportunities and in constantly activities are not dependent on a project or reinventing and designing alternatives. its funding (see Box 6).

Since its creation, SEWA has expanded Nevertheless, partnerships and its membership and financial and technical alliances are needed at different levels capacity and has developed many services to expand and support SEWA members’ to support its members. When SEWA businesses, such as by providing access started, it didn’t have much capital, but to modern technologies and techniques. using its philosophy of self-reliance, it Partnerships also are needed to influence intended to start small and expand using policies and change concepts – from available resources. Its Bank was one of the village panchayat level to regional its first cooperatives, and was created and international levels. As an example, with an initial share capital collected from SEWA is involved in The Women Informal members. When SEWA organizes women Employment Globalizing and Organizing in groups, it encourages them to save (WIEGO), a global network which aims to money. When it provides literacy classes improve the status of the working poor, or technical trainings, members pay a fee. especially women, in the informal economy. Services are provided at an affordable cost so that even the poorest member can Limits to SEWA’s model benefit. Each SEWA sister organization strives to be financially independent and SEWA has certain features, which may not sustainable. easily transfer to other organizations, including:

26 CHAPTER 2: SEWA’S MODEL TO PROMOTE WOMEN’S OPPORTUNITIES IN AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS

t a wide scope that includes all informal for children’s welfare). SEWA’s members activities: SEWA started as a union to felt that they would be inhibited with defend the rights of urban and rural men around and needed the space women workers in the informal sector. to take on new roles, build their self- Consequently, its members’ activities confidence and take their own decisions span a wide range of jobs in urban and regarding matters such as which crops rural settings. This makes SEWA uniquely to grow and how to use their earnings different from many other activity- and savings. In patriarchally dominated focused organizations. societies, men tend to take over when businesses become profitable. However, t a large potential pool of women in many countries, women-based members: SEWA’s access to many organizations may find it difficult to women in a populous country is a source totally exclude men and may be required of strength in its ability to reach financial either to join men’s organizations or self-reliance; however, organizations operate with mixed membership to with similar goals in less populous break down social resistance to women- countries may face more limited potential only organizations. membership. In populous India, more than 92 percent of the workforce is in These unique features may make it the informal economy. They “are poor difficult to transfer SEWA’s entire model to but so many” and need a range of social other organizations. However, the principles and economic services. When SEWA it embodies and its proven approaches to develops a service, it knows that there is development can inspire other organizations a potentially large “client base”. to support poor men and women. Services like the microcredit facilities, RUDI distribution t its focus on women: SEWA’s members network and pensions and health insurance decided to remain a women-only are likely to be of interest to informal and managed organization. For SEWA, poor workers worldwide. The way men and women are critical to eradicating women organize and network may differ poverty. They need to lead the process from one country to the next (e.g. unions, because they are resilient, hard working, federations, cooperatives, economic interest and will sustain the family under groups). But the key determinant is to all circumstances. Men and women organize and network in sufficient numbers have different perceptions of what is to ensure visibility, voice and viability (Ela important in their livelihood decisions Bhatt) and make changes in favour of the (e.g women are traditionally responsible poor.

27 Oumy Seck (left), Adie Diatta (centre) and Jeanne Diattara (right) from Senegal during the EEP CHAPTER 3: A PARTIAL OVERVIEW OF WOMEN’S ORGANIZATIONS IN STAPLE CROP VALUE CHAINS IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA

A PARTIAL OVERVIEW OF WOMEN’S 3. ORGANIZATIONS IN STAPLE CROP VALUE CHAINS IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA7

3.1 Background the last ten years, and they are usually Since the 1980s, the agricultural market managed by men. Women members are liberalization in Africa has led to a withdrawal often under-represented, not involved in of state support to agriculture and a decision-making processes or not heard. dismantling of core agricultural services such as technical training, input provision and Establishing women-based organiza- infrastructure support. This liberalization tions is a primary strategy to address promoted the emergence and expansion of women’s unequal participation in producer producer organizations as service providers to organizations and to improve access to deliver needed economic and social services support and assistance needed to develop in rural areas. International donors and NGOs women’s activities. In this chapter, we will played an important role in promoting the present ten organizations in West and Central development of these producer organizations Africa that are operated and managed by by providing technical and financial women and will describe their activities, assistance. More recently, there have been structures, strengths and limitations. These significant changes in the agricultural and organizations engage in one of the following food marketing, processing and retail sectors areas: in developing countries (FAO’s Committee on Agriculture, 2010). As a result, producer x improving members’ capacity to access organizations have defined and implemented markets and commercialize their strategies to help their members adapt to produce; the changes and overcome considerable constraints to compete in modern markets. x developing opportunities to add value In many countries, while men focus on cash within specific value chains; crops, women are mainly responsible for food crops, which are very important for x providing access to support services food security in these regions. such as education, technical training, transport or finance; In West and Central Africa, many producer organizations were created during x conducting policy advocacy.

These organizations are a good sample 7 This chapter is based on the results of a survey and interviews with African women leaders who of women-based organizations in Africa; participated in the Exchange and Exposure Program therefore, they are suitable for drawing in India. broad lessons about the types of women’s

29 THE ROLE OF WOMEN PRODUCER ORGANIZATIONS IN AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS

institutional structures appropriate for staple Cooperatives of women producers of crop value chain development in Africa. shallots in Segou, Mali

3.2 Improving women’s capacity In the Segou region of Mali, shallots are to access markets and cultivated mainly by rural women farmers on relatively small plots (0.20 hectares). commercialize their produce Shallots are used in all Malian dishes, Small-scale rural producers – both men and and they represent a major marketing women – face a number of constraints in opportunity because of growing consumer accessing markets, such as lack of access demand. Traditionally, women operate at to productive assets (e.g. land, water, the production and retail levels while men finance), education, technical skills and new dominate bulk-marketing activities. technologies; high transport and transaction costs; and lack of bargaining power. However, The Benkadi cooperative of women women farmers face greater disadvantages producers of shallots had serious problems than their male counterparts. They face selling all of its production on the local market social, economic and political constraints or having to sell it at very low prices before it ranging from social norms and customs that spoiled. In order to sell their shallot surpluses dictate the type of work they can do and through bulk marketing, the cooperative the conditions in which this work must take partnered with 21 other women’s shallot place, to gender-unequal laws which limit or cooperatives (each of which included only constrain their access to productive assets one or two men). Together they lobbied to such as land, livestock, productive inputs and become members of Faso Jigi, an association finance (FAO, IFAD, ILO, 2010). In addition, of farmers’ cooperatives based in Segou, women often have less access to education, Mali, that brings together farmers’ products knowledge, information and technologies such as cereals, rice, onions and, more than men. Finally, women’s access to markets recently, shallots for collective sales. Faso can be limited by a lack of social services such Jigi also lobbies for better access to credit, as child care. provides technical advice and collectively purchases fertilizers at better terms for Rural producers’ organizations can play a farmers’ organizations. crucial role in enabling small-scale producers, especially women, to enter or improve In 1997, the women cooperatives became their position in the market, increase their members of Faso Jigi and were represented bargaining power, benefit from higher prices on the management board. They negotiated and negotiate better conditions for contracts. with Faso Jigi to build two storage facilities However, some women’s initiatives from Mali to conserve the shallots. Faso Jigi would buy show that if producers’ organizations are to the shallot production from the cooperatives, benefit women, they need to be managed store it and sell it when market prices were and owned by the women themselves more favourable (prices per kg varied or women should be actively involved in between 150 FCFA (US$0.33) in May and the management and decision-making 900 FCFA (US$1.96) in September). After the processes. success of this initiative, Faso Jigi invested

30 CHAPTER 3: A PARTIAL OVERVIEW OF WOMEN’S ORGANIZATIONS IN STAPLE CROP VALUE CHAINS IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA

The expected growth in the dried shallots market is bringing new opportunities for women producers of shallots, who are testing a technology to dry and slice the surplus shallots that cannot be stored in the storage facilities. However, the women will only be able to fully beneﬁt from this market if they have access to training and resources to improve the quality of their slicing, drying, packaging and branding.

Cooperatives of women producers of sweet peas in Mali

Sweet peas (or tiger nuts) are the main crop in the Sikasso Region of Mali. They have a high market potential at national, regional and international levels (a large part of sweet pea production is exported to Spain). Sixty-eight percent of sweet pea producers in the region are women (Coulibaly et al., OXFAM, 2010), Bintou Guido of Faso Giji (Mali) and sweet peas represent 75 percent of their income.8 Typically, traders procure sweet peas from producers with whom they have in building 19 more storage facilities with a a personal relationship. Other producers will capacity of 400 kg each. store part of their produce and wait until the market prices are higher to sell it. This lack Currently, 960 of the 4 200 members of of price transparency in the local market was Fajo Jigi are women who specialize in shallot problematic. In order to better proﬁt from production and marketing. The shallot market opportunities, the women producers cooperatives have a female representative organized into groups and cooperatives; who is in charge of bulk marketing onions each cooperative now negotiates a contract and shallots and who ensures that women’s with one trader. However, there is still a lack concerns and needs are taken into account of transparent market and price information. in the strategies of Faso Jigi. In 2010, 26 cooperatives decided to Faso Jigi has been a very successful create the Union Jekafo, which brings marketing organization. The women shallot together 1 417 members, of which 875 are producers’ income has increased because they women (some cooperatives are women-only can sell all of their production at a better price. The women can now keep a portion of their fresh shallots to produce seeds for the next 8 Other crops are sorgho, mill, maize, fonio, mangos, season, which reduces their cost of inputs. niebe and sheer butter. (Fanta Diamoutene)

31 THE ROLE OF WOMEN PRODUCER ORGANIZATIONS IN AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS

The essential part of the production is marketed in the form of seeds. The Union Jekafo created processing facilities and organized training on processing techniques for women. Five women producers trained 150 women to process sweet peas in juice and soap. These women will then train the members of their grassroots organizations. Processing sweet peas can bring new market opportunities; however, the women still contend with a lack of sufﬁcient storage and handling facilities and the need to improve capacity-building activities and package quality.

The Union Jekafo, along with other sweet peas producers’ organizations in the region, joined the Association des Organisations Professionelles Paysannes (AOPP), which facilitates marketing of sweet peas at the regional (Sikasso) and national Fanta Diamoutene of the Union Jekafo (Mali) (Bamako) levels through retail outlets. AOPP also offers capacity-building activities and lobbies for small-scale producers’ concerns to be taken into account in national policies. and others are mixed). The Union Jekafo A representative of women producers offers advance payments to its members, promotes women in the AOPP network who repay the loans in kind at harvest time. and ensures that women’s concerns are Usually, members keep a small part of their considered. production for their own consumption and for sale in the local market; they sell the The Union Jekafo still needs to overcome rest to the Union Jekafo, which is in charge several challenges, including limited of commercializing it. As a result of this technical capacity, access to appropriate cooperation within Union Jekafo, market equipment and lack of marketing skills. prices for sweet peas were harmonized and Recently, the organization hired a consultant higher – from 120–275 FCFA (US$0.26–0.60) to teach and advise members on crop in the local market to 500 FCFA (US$1.09) budgets and to develop business plans for at the district level. In order to access the cooperative. information on sweet pea prices in other countries, Union Jekafo became affiliated Cooperatives of women fish with a subregional organization, ORIPROFIS processors and traders in Mali (Organisation Interprofessionnelle de la filière Souchet) covering Burkina Faso, Mali Traditionally in Mali, men do the fishing. and Niger. From the time the fish is landed, the women

32 CHAPTER 3: A PARTIAL OVERVIEW OF WOMEN’S ORGANIZATIONS IN STAPLE CROP VALUE CHAINS IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA

are in charge of processing, conservation to the woman member of the cooperative and marketing. A group of 14 women from (i.e. the fisherman’s wife) and 500 FCFA the village of Baco Djicoroni – mainly the (US$1.09) would go to the fisherman. With wives of fishermen – created the cooperative this financial incentive, it did not take much “Femmes en Action” to collectively market effort to convince the fishermen to sell their fish. One of the constraints they faced was fresh fish to the cooperative. Eventually, competition from outside traders who would fishermen knew that the income from the come into the villages and buy the fish sale of fish by the cooperative represented directly from fishermen. additional income for their households. As a result of this additional household income, In order to overcome this challenge and women saved 100 FCFA (US$0.22) per day, guarantee the supply of fresh fish to its which they reinvested in the cooperative members, the cooperative negotiated a to start alternative income-generating higher purchase price with the fishermen. activities, such as livestock and horticultural For example, if the traders would buy the production. Apart from fish processing and fish at 500 FCFA (US$1.09), the cooperative marketing, the members of the cooperative would offer 750 FCFA (US$1.64). The cultivate and process cereals, and practise additional 250 FCFA (US$0.54) would go microgardening.

This contractual arrangement between the fishermen and the cooperative was also instrumental in guaranteeing a steady supply of fish to markets in the high season. The fish are transported to the market by public transport after women buy them at the landing sites. These transport conditions over long distances – from 180 to 500 km – involve a high risk of post-harvest losses. The cooperative developed multiple marketing strategies in order to mitigate these risks. Fresh fish (la “peche du jour”) is delivered to a single sales location in the market. A part of it is sold on the spot and another part is delivered to homes on a motorcycle. What is not sold at the end of the day goes back to the village to be processed into smoked fish, dried fish and fish cubes. The processing unit in Bamako employs 50 women who are not cooperative members. It processes 1 000 kg of fish per month as well as cereals, fruits and vegetables produced by the cooperative members. Fatoumata Diallo Sirebala of the cooperative “ femmes en action” (Mali)

33 THE ROLE OF WOMEN PRODUCER ORGANIZATIONS IN AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS

3.3 Increasing women’s opportunity to upgrade in a value chain providing literacy training and education, training in agricultural and processing Women and men small-scale farmers and techniques and technical advice to start and entrepreneurs do not participate in the same develop small “social businesses” (i.e. the way in agricultural value chains. Women professionalization of women producers to are mainly concentrated in the production enable them to become entrepreneurs). The and processing of fresh foods such as AFDB member organizations engage in a vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy products variety of value chains including shea butter, and ﬁsh, which are sold in local markets cereals, horticulture, livestock and other (FAO, FAO, ILO Policy brief 4, 2010). They products. lack access to information, capital, technical and entrepreneurial skills, and often they In rural areas of Burkina Faso, one of lack conﬁdence to engage in more complex the important sources of household income activities. As a result, they are largely absent comes from harvesting, processing and from bulk marketing activities, higher marketing shea nuts, which are mostly value-added activities and export markets women’s responsibility. But the greatest dominated by men. This situation limits potential income lies in the production women’s ability to economically gain from and marketing of shea butter, which the sector’s development. gets a higher market price than raw shea nuts. Women already have the traditional Some initiatives from Burkina Faso and knowledge to produce shea butter, but they Senegal show that when women pull their lack the capacity and resources to transform resources together and receive adequate this activity into an economically sustainable support and accompaniment, they can business. AFDB supported one of its members, engage in higher value markets (e.g. the an organization of women producers of shea cosmetics markets), increase their control over several nodes of the value chains (i.e. production, processing and marketing) and become involved in the coordination of the value chain.

Helping women become entrepreneurs in Burkina Faso

The Association Féminine pour le Développement Buayaba (AFDB) is a national NGO gathering over 3 200 women across 42 rural organizations. Ninety percent of its members are women. The objective of AFDB is to empower women economically and socially through various activities such as Buyaba members displaying shea-butter products (Karite), Burkina Faso

34 CHAPTER 3: A PARTIAL OVERVIEW OF WOMEN’S ORGANIZATIONS IN STAPLE CROP VALUE CHAINS IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA

butter, to create a company and to develop in processing activities and seize this market a business plan and marketing strategy. The opportunity. company, Assana (a commercial business with a social objective to support women The EIG Keur Tafsir Makhary helps its through shea butter production), was created 15 women members develop and improve in 2007. One of AFDB’s main lines of support their food processing techniques in order to Assana is an operating loan of 1–3 million to diversify the types of products they can FCFA (US$2 185– 6 554) to help the company commercialize. For example, members took with income-generating activities. the initiative to process cassava into ready- to-use couscous. The idea was to change the Currently, Assana produces an average of image of this traditional cereal so it could 5 tonnes of shea butter per year and employs be used as an alternative to rice. The EIG around 300 women to transform it into members transform a variety of products organic cosmetic products such as soaps, including mill, corn, honey, cassava, fruits shampoos and body creams. and vegetables. However, cassava couscous and flour became the main products Although shea butter cosmetic products commercialized from the members’ homes have a high potential for export, Assana or from shops in Thiès. currently markets its products in the local and national markets – through one shop While the EIG has had a positive impact in Ouagadougou, local markets, fairs and on the women’s revenue, it remains to exhibitions. This strategy enables women be seen how the EIG can position itself in to concentrate on short supply chains, markets for processed products. Members which they can control, and to reduce or still face several challenges: maintaining a eliminate intermediaries, which results in steady supply of raw products, especially higher margins. However, selling products the cereals they have to buy; overcoming in the local and national markets is not technical difficulties related to the lack of enough. Assana aspires to develop linkages suitable equipment; obtaining adequate with international traders/retailers in order training and transport; improving labelling to create a fair-trade shea butter value and packaging; and expanding sales points. chain. This example points to a larger problem: Improving processing in Senegal the creation of an EIG doesn’t solve the main obstacles faced by women food processors. In response to increasing demand, especially A higher-scale organization (or a network from a growing urban population, traditional of closely interlinked organizations) may be local products (e.g. maize, beans, cassava) needed to acquire the appropriate technical, are processed into ready-to-use products. managerial and financial resources to For example, processed cassava has emerged overcome the obstacles faced by women in some countries as an alternative to rice, food processors in becoming effectively especially in the aftermath of the rise in integrated into the markets. Appropriate rice prices during the 2007/08 food crisis. support policies and government initiatives Women in Thiès, Senegal decided to create also are needed to enhance these groups an Economic Interest Group (EIG) to engage and enable them to fulfil their needs.

35 THE ROLE OF WOMEN PRODUCER ORGANIZATIONS IN AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS

Producing milk products in Burkina markets. They have less access to education, Faso health care, extension and ﬁnancial services which increases their vulnerability to risks In Burkina Faso, milk production is very and shocks and reduces their opportunity important for a large part of the population. to participate in markets. Women are even This is especially true for women, for whom it more disadvantaged for the reasons already is their major income-generating activity. mentioned in previous chapters.

In 1994, a grassroots association called To build their capacity to participate in NEEDI was created to support rural and semi- markets, associations and NGOs support urban women producers of milk around the women to use their scarce resources (e.g. town of Dori in northeastern Burkina Faso. land and skills) efficiently. They create This association has 57 members and focuses mechanisms of social solidarity among around three core income-generating women and support them by providing activities: milk production, animal fattening education, technical training and financial and small trade. NEEDI also engages in services or by linking women with existing literacy training for its members and supports public or private service providers. schooling for two girls from each of its member families. This last activity is carried Forming groups for social solidarity out with the support of UNESCO, which and access to support services in collaborated with NEEDI by providing one Senegal mill to a village. NEEDI members are trained to add value by making milk into yoghurt Casamance is a fertile agricultural area of and cheese and by cattle fattening. The entry Southern Senegal that has suffered conflicts point to bring the women together was the and insecurity for the last two decades. creation of a credit and savings system which Today, the province is one of the poorest in enabled them to develop activities such as the country, and many people have migrated animal pasture-fattening. to find work. For those who remain, agriculture is the main source of livelihood. NEEDI is a good example of a grassroots To overcome the many constraints imposed organization which supported its members by this situation, some women formed in diversifying their income-generating women advancement groups (groupes de activities and in creating added value to their promotion feminine) and created a support livestock products. network. This network became a formal organization in 2006 – the Association for the 3.4 Facilitating women’s access to Solidarity towards Community Development support services (Association pour la Solidarité l’entraide et le Développement Communautaire). The In many countries, only between one- association has two main objectives: (1) to fifth and two-fifths of the rural population build women’s capacity in food processing are significant participants in agricultural as a means to generate income, and (2) markets (FAO, 2009), while some to facilitate women’s access to inputs and households, particularly in remote rural microcredit. areas, may have little or no interaction with

36 CHAPTER 3: A PARTIAL OVERVIEW OF WOMEN’S ORGANIZATIONS IN STAPLE CROP VALUE CHAINS IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA

literacy. Currently the association has 181 women in semi-urban and rural areas. The association has one core objective: to empower women to tackle poverty. To achieve this objective, the association facilitates the creation of a support network among the women and builds their capacity to engage in activities to improve their livelihoods.

CEEDD started in 2005 to provide preventative health care for women and children and credit to women for various income-generating activities. Microgardening facility run by CEEDD (Senegal) Through these activities, it was found that women and children faced a major problem The association trained 100 women in of poor nutrition. Many loans were diverted processing okra, eggplant, mango, maize, from income-generating investments and millet, sorghum, cassava and black-eyed used instead to improve food consumption beans (locally known as “niébé”). The directly. CEEDD decided to help women trained women share their knowledge produce their own food by offering them within their groups at the village level. The support to develop microgardening. association also uses the public radio to spread information about food processing. CEEDD trained women from Senegal and Currently, over 300 women are involved in this neighbouring countries on microgardening processing activity, and commercialization of techniques. Women learned to grow the products is done at the village level. aromatic herbs (mint, basil) and vegetables (carrots, cabbage), which helped improve The association acts as a facilitator and their families’ diet. Part of the microgardening broker to allow the women’s groups to activity is done on tables at CEEDD’s premises beneﬁt from government schemes, such as (see Figure x) and another part is done in training in rice production and distributing the homes for family consumption. Women high-quality NERICA 1 rice seeds. The now grow vegetables locally and at low cost association also facilitates linkages between because they use organic fertilizer from food the women’s groups and local microﬁnancial waste. This reduces household expenses institutions. because the women do not have to buy vegetables and can use the additional income Training women in microgardening for other activities. CEEDD is now looking to develop microgardening in schools. The Centre d’écoute et d’encadrement pour un développement durable (CEEDD) is an Expanding this kind of activity to women association that brings together three groups in urban and semi-urban areas would meet of women involved in small-scale processing, multiple goals including food security, income cloth dying and sewing, nutrition and generation and youth employment. However,

37 THE ROLE OF WOMEN PRODUCER ORGANIZATIONS IN AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS

if women want to transform microgardening process maize, cassava, palm oil, vegetables into an income-generating activity, they will and fruits, but they have nowhere to sell need more space and resources. their products. Reach Out helps them build their self-confidence by facilitating them into CEEDD also created a multipurpose user groups and identifying different means training facility for women with a library and of transportation they can use to access local sales point. It includes a space for processing markets. It also provides training in nutrition and selling niébé, which is produced by and primary health care. CEEDD’s rural members on a 5-hectare piece of land allocated by the local government to Reach Out is an example of a local NGO, the association. supported by external financial and human resources (i.e. international volunteers), that Providing support services to women provides basic services to rural women and farmers in remote areas in Cameroon youth who live in remote areas that are not reached by any government development Remote areas often face a combination of programmes. unfavourable conditions, poor infrastructure, weak or no state and market institutions 3.5 Raising women’s voice in and political isolation. Poor rural people policy advocacy who live in these remote areas tend to be more vulnerable and marginalized, especially For decades, many investments and groups such as single mothers, children and agricultural policies in Africa focused largely HIV/AIDS-infected people. These groups on export-oriented cash crops; food crops face several challenges, including the lack of for domestic consumption, in which women transportation and adequate roads to reach tend to be more active, were neglected. In markets and the lack of health, education recent years, especially following the 2007/08 and financial services. food crisis, there has been a marked shift of interest in favour of staple and other food Reach Out, a grassroots NGO based in the southwestern region of Cameroon, supports some of these groups. Reach Out’s stated aims are to build the individual and collective capacity of marginalized women and youth to improve their social and economic situation. Currently, Reach Out provides support services to 104 groups, comprising 1 598 members (of whom 85 percent are women).

One of Reach Out’s actions is to provide support to Bamusso and Fabasso women infected by HIV/AIDS to help them improve their health and engage in income-generating Esther Oman Njormo of NGO “Reach Out” during a visit activities. These women mainly produce and to a women’s group (Cameroun)

38 CHAPTER 3: A PARTIAL OVERVIEW OF WOMEN’S ORGANIZATIONS IN STAPLE CROP VALUE CHAINS IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA

value chains, which are so important for food security and rural development and support security. However, existing policy approaches local producers’ organizations in their and institutional structures do not seem development projects. COSADER currently appropriate to tackle the multilayered supports 250 village farmers’ groups. Sixty- problems involved in the development of ﬁve percent of COSADER’s members are staple crop value chains. New mechanisms women and 90 percent are based in rural of ﬁnancial and technical support need to areas. be designed and adapted to support the range of stakeholders involved in these At the national level, COSADER leads a value chains, and these mechanisms need campaign for the elaboration of framework to be participatory and gender-sensitive. law for agriculture that will take into For this to happen, agricultural policies and account issues of food security and rural programmes need to be elaborated with the development. Through this campaign, equitable participation of men and women COSADER advocates for a legal framework producers in food value chains. that will strengthen farmers’ rights, especially those of rural women farmers and youth. Often, women lack a voice and are under- Lobbying activities are directed to policy- represented in decision-making processes makers, development organizations and, at within producer organizations and in policy- the local level, the rural population in order making processes. To ensure that their needs to increase awareness and involve citizens and concerns are taken into account in more extensively in agricultural policy- agricultural policies and programmes, women making. Because women play a major role in need to be more visible and strengthen their food value chains, special attention is given capacity to participate actively in government to support them so they can play a full role consultations, negotiations and dialogues. in this process. The Chamber of Agriculture

Engaging women in advocacy in Cameroon

In Cameroon, an initiative by the Coalition of African Organizations for Food Security and Sustainable Development (COSADER) provides an interesting example of how women’s organizations engage in collective advocacy and policy-making processes.

COSADER is a collective of 35 NGOs and associations working in food security and rural development issues. COSADER’s main objectives are to coordinate efforts to raise visibility in member organizations, ensure Christine Andela of COSADER (Cameroun) explaining her lobbying activities in favour of food organization of rural advocacy program

39 THE ROLE OF WOMEN PRODUCER ORGANIZATIONS IN AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS

is COSADER’s main partner and ally in these Federation of Rural Women (FNAFER) in activities. Mali. This federation was created in 2004 after a group of women made a direct The strength of COSADER’s advocacy appeal to the President of Mali during an is based on its local committees on food annual regional meeting with farmers. security, which bring together producers’ Women pleaded for a dedicated space to organizations, civil society, traditional exchange their opinions and elaborate and authorities and local government, as well communicate their concerns and proposals. as the Chamber of Agriculture, microcredit FNAFER participated actively in the process of establishments and insurance companies. elaborating the Agricultural Orientation Law. These multistakeholder committees are FNAFER is represented within the national responsible for collectively identifying network of Chambers of Agriculture and is issues around food production and actively solicited during consultations related commercialization and elaborating local to agricultural issues. strategies to address the problems through community development plans. COSADER 3.6 Strengths and weaknesses of supports the development plans with African women producers’ capacity building. For example, COSADER trains members on a wide range of organizations themes including production, processing, conservation of agricultural products and This chapter does not intend to exhaustively management and advocacy skills. analyse each organization, which would be necessary to better identify their strengths, As a result of COSADER’s lobbying activity, weaknesses and risks. However, this overview staple crops were included in national of women’s organizations offers valuable agricultural policies in 1999. Since 2009, insights into: (1) the importance of collective COSADER has been organizing consultations action to build women’s self-confidence through the local committees on food and their influence on markets and policy- security. The results of these consultations making; and (2) the many issues women’s with producers’ organizations, civil society organizations face in terms of governance, and local government will be used in management, capacities and resources. It the negotiations for the elaboration and is also important to note that the nature adoption of an agricultural law that should and degree of the problems faced by these take into account the concerns and priorities organizations vary based on the age of the of men and women producers. Among other organizations. issues, COSADER lobbies in this process for the legal recognition of women producers Strengths through a professional identity card/license and for their right to access social security. t Women’s strength increases through group membership Involving women in policy-making in Mali The initiatives presented show how women Another example of women’s involvement can benefit from joining organizations, in policy-making is provided by the National associations or cooperatives. Some of these

40 CHAPTER 3: A PARTIAL OVERVIEW OF WOMEN’S ORGANIZATIONS IN STAPLE CROP VALUE CHAINS IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA

organizations, depending on their level of international organizations; and organizing development and the dynamic nature of capacity-building activities. Often, they their leaders, enabled greater participation are engaged in several organizations and of their women members in markets and advocacy activities (e.g. lobbying local policy-making. In some cases, membership authorities for women’s access to land, significantly improved women’s bargaining lobbying government to promote women power and collective strength to access producers’ rights and participating in the markets and technical training, manage elaboration of agricultural policies). collective assets, diversify their production and invest in non-farm activities. t Tangible benefits accrue to their members t Different paths can support women members Interviews with women members and leaders of the organizations highlighted in this report Some groups joined other women-only showed examples of improved livelihoods organizations; others were part of mixed for the members. Benefits included income- organizations to commercialize their generating activities, increased capacity of production and access market information. women to send their children to school and The experiences of joining male-dominated a better diet. producer organizations show that women producers can benefit as long as they have Weaknesses and vulnerabilities a stake in the decisions and strategies that concern them. t Organizational, management and governance issues Some organizations create linkages with private and public partners to enable their The leaders tend to drive the operations of members to access inputs, training and credit. these organizations, and they are frequently They contribute to developing important the only ones, or among a few, who have a channels for government and donors sufficient level of literacy and knowledge to to reach small-scale women producers. manage most of the organization’s activities, They also provide direct support to their including administrative issues, financial members through a number of activities: reporting and business plans. This creates alphabetization courses, technical training in an institutional weakness in governance agricultural and processing techniques and with little engagement or commitment from facilitation to access microcredit. the base, which eventually jeopardizes the sustainability of the organizations. t Dynamic women leaders are very involved The organizations’ members can have different views about their roles and com- All of the women leaders interviewed are mitments within the organization. Often, they involved in multiple activities: producing join the organization as a benefit recipient for their households and for the market; and are not aware of their obligations towards negotiating contracts for their organizations; the organization. Therefore, they may not building partnerships with NGOs and fully commit to build and support a common

41 THE ROLE OF WOMEN PRODUCER ORGANIZATIONS IN AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS

vision based on shared objectives and values, financial resources. Unrealistic objectives can respect commitments or participate actively be adopted without a full understanding in the organization’s management. The lack of the difficulties involved or based on the of members’ commitment and capacity expectation that external technical and also can reduce their ability to engage in financial resources will support them. the management and decision-making processes. Hence, a serious weakness of this t Achieving self-reliance and sustain- organizational model lies in the structure of ability its governance, which is often characterized by inadequate management, élite capture Usually, members pay an annual membership and lack of transparency. fee to their organization and do not pay for the training provided by the organization Moreover, the concentration of know- during the year. An organization’s own ledge and responsibility in one or a few funds are not sufficient to cover its operating people can raise issues of accountability. All costs, even when there are no salaries to members might not have access to the same pay (i.e. even in the case of organizations level of information, and the organization’s managed on a volunteer basis by their board leaders might not have the means to address members). The organizations may develop the needs of all members. activities based on projects financed with external funding. In some cases, grassroots associations and NGOs were initiated with t Committing to new activities without external funds, which still support them. appropriate capacity This situation of over-reliance on external Whether the organizations are focused on technical and financial resources creates specific value chains or a subset of activities, three important risks. First, activities might be they seek to provide a range of services to their developed based on external stakeholders’ members to answer their particular needs agendas and not on the specific needs of the (e.g. access to land, inputs, training, credit). organization’s members. Second, as long as However, in some of these organizations, external support is provided, members are activities extend to areas in which there not motivated to invest their own resources may not be the necessary technical or in the organization’s operation or develop managerial skills (e.g. agroprocessing, rural their own mechanisms to mobilize resources finance). The choice of whether to engage at the local level. Third, when projects stop, in new activities or more ambitious goals the activities that depended on external is not always based on a careful evaluation funds and human resources might stop too if of risks and opportunities and rarely takes no long-term plan was developed to sustain into account existing human, technical and the activities.

FAO-SEWA working session during EEP CHAPTER 4: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SEWA AND AFRICAN WOMEN’S ORGANIZATIONS

A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SEWA AND 4. AFRICAN WOMEN’S ORGANIZATIONS

This chapter9 compares SEWA’s experience environment of these organizations differ with African women’s organizations based from one country to the next and sometimes on the EEP mission to India conducted by from one organization to another. For nine African leaders, which took place in example, SEWA focuses its attention on November 2010. poor urban and rural women working in the informal sector, bringing together over 100 SEWA and African organizations both different trades. As a result, it has developed recognize that women in India and Africa a wide range of support services to respond often face the same type of disadvantages. to the many needs (i.e. political, social and As women-led organizations, both SEWA economic) of its multitudinous members. and the African organizations share the By contrast, the African organizations bring same goal, which is to empower women and together women producers of a similar type improve their social and economic conditions. of product or service and around one specific They both strive to improve women’s access value chain or a set of related support services to education, productive assets and markets and products. and to make their voices heard. During the EEP, the women leaders of African and Indian producers’ organiza- the African organizations learned first-hand tions also work to remedy weak or no about several of SEWA’s successes and best government presence in rural areas. In India, practices. Among these were SEWA’s unique women farmers operate with government organizational and governance structure schemes that are not adapted to them or and its approach based on locally driven do not reach them, while in Africa they are solutions, strong investment in human faced with the dismantling of government capital and fruitful partnerships and financial agricultural services. self-reliance. Many of SEWA’s successes, achieved during nearly 40 years of existence, Comparing SEWA with the selected still remain huge challenges for the African African women organizations is a challenge. organizations to overcome. The size, scope of activities, experience and 4.1. Organizational structure and

9 This chapter includes contributions from the workshop good governance “Women and value chains – sharing experiences and lessons from ten African women leaders from West and Central Africa”, 6 December 2010, organized by SEWA built interconnected local and FAO’s Social and Economic Development Department. democratic institutions and strengthened

45 THE ROLE OF WOMEN PRODUCER ORGANIZATIONS IN AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS

women’s leadership capacity at village and district levels. These leaders – from aagewans (local leaders) to trade council members and executive members – ensure a regular two- way information ﬂow between grassroots and management levels. They participate in discussions related to policy and business matters, problems and achievements of various cooperatives and trade organizations. As a result, SEWA is not run by a few strong leaders but by thousands of women. In addition, SEWA’s members feel a strong sense of collective ownership and are proud to be members. Sharing strong values is key to creating consistency and motivation among the members to pursue a common objective, especially through times of struggle.

4.2. Self-reliance approach Reema Nanavaty explaining SEWA governance structure

Building locally driven solutions

SEWA investigates the issues and problems faced by its members through grassroots diagnosis and surveys. Members participate in designing the responses and priority actions and become owners of the process. Organized in groups, they actively participate in planning, implementing and monitoring

Challenge for African organizations: The challenge is to rethink the governance structure, especially the way in which members are involved in the management and decision- making processes of the organization, and how organizations can build the capacity of all members to become active members and leaders. SEWA’s integrated approach spelled out

46 CHAPTER 4: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SEWA AND AFRICAN WOMEN’S ORGANIZATIONS

these actions. SEWA facilitates this process Investing in human capital: building by: (1) drawing on its members to enhance strength from within self-help and develop underutilized skills and knowledge; and (2) providing linkages SEWA builds the capacities of its individual between the women’s groups and SEWA members so they become owners and services (e.g. banking, health care, vocational managers of their own trades. For SEWA, trainings), private companies or government capacity building is a continuing process services. from building women’s self-esteem to investing and nurturing their leadership and COSADER in Cameroon provides entrepreneurial spirit. Training programmes an interesting case of how local are designed and provided by SEWA in multistakeholders’ committees were response to demand and in a decentralized successful in involving men and women manner, and are adapted to its members’ smallholders to identify the constraints literacy, awareness and experience levels. they face and to design local solutions. The Further, skill building doesn’t end with committees facilitated linkages between the training activity; it involves following financial institutions and men and women up to ensure that the learned skills can smallholders. be implemented in practice. Every service offered by SEWA includes a training activity for grassroots members: financial literacy, agricultural practices, health care, plumbing, etc. Grassroots members become trainers and spread the knowledge they acquire to others. Challenge for African organizations: Training or building capacity is not systematic and integral to all their activities. While specific training activities are carried out in some Challenge or African organiza- cases, this area is a serious weakness tions: The challenge is to improve or in these organizations. Also, leaders build mechanisms where members or members do not always have draw on existing resources to become the capacity and often complain actively involved and trained in needs that external training initiatives analysis and design, implementation are often not well targeted and and evaluation of responses. lack the follow up necessary to be Some organizations have achieved effective. The challenge is to develop some success in this area (e.g. the a comprehensive and sustainable cooperative “Femmes en Action” in approach to capacity building – as part Mali, COSADER in Cameroon), but of a process – and to institutionalize these successes are with narrow, well- mechanisms of feedback, adaptation focused activities by these single- or and scaling up from the grassroots few-purpose organizations. level.

47 THE ROLE OF WOMEN PRODUCER ORGANIZATIONS IN AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS

Investing in fruitful partnerships

SEWA leverages local, regional and Challenge for African organiza- international resources and facilitates linkages tions: African organizations tend to with existing government programmes and rely on external donors and NGOs schemes to beneﬁt its members, rather than which inevitably couple assistance creating parallel programmes. These linkages with government services’ pre- with village groups provide effective channels planned projects. These organizations for delivering government assistance. In have very little interaction with addition, SEWA develops partnerships with government services (except general universities and technical institutes to design policy advocacy and lobbying in and implement programmes tailored to forum) and little or no capacity to low-literate women. SEWA also negotiates build fruitful partnerships with local partnerships with private companies when technical resources (e.g. research possible. At the international level, SEWA centres), except those organizations is involved with other organizations and that are supported with external networks to promote the economic and social donor funding, like the Fédération des empowerment of poor women workers from Professionnels Agricoles de la Sissili the informal sector. (FEPPASI) in Burkina Faso.

Striving for financial self-reliance at There is little evidence of strong all levels collaboration with local organizations like Chambers of Agriculture, except SEWA strives for economic self-reliance in the cases of FNAFER in Mali and in its programmes, and also takes a step- COSADER in Cameroon. This is another great source of weakness for these organizations, hampering their effectiveness and blocking their ability to meet their declared goals. One of Challenge or African organiza- the key challenges is how to rethink or tions: The challenge is to access refocus these women’s organizations information on existing programmes so as to progressively reach some and schemes which could benefit financial self-sufficiency and start to their members and build mechanisms develop projects and initiatives with to ensure that these programmes are their own resources to meet their adequately implemented. Another most pressing needs. A new mode of challenge is for the organizations to operation is needed among donors, enhance their lobbying capacity to development agencies and these develop fruitful partnerships with organizations to ensure that assistance public and private stakeholders at is targeted to strengthen self-reliance local, regional and international levels. now and in the future.

48 CHAPTER 4: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SEWA AND AFRICAN WOMEN’S ORGANIZATIONS

by-step approach to developing locally on strong linkages among: (1) its members generated solutions. Financial self-reliance at a grassroots level (intra-group linkages); is key to the sustainability of the different (2) the different SEWA organizations (inter- SEWA organizations, district associations and group linkages); and (3) SEWA and the private cooperatives. Women’s economic self-reliance and public sector (extra-group linkages). begins with their basic training and education upon joining the organization; some women There are three overarching challenges for further their training and become trainers African women leaders: themselves. Funding activities are acquired through credit from village level savings groups x to rethink women’s organization and at the district association level through the strategies for empowering women development of paid services to members. The towards improved economic livelihoods; cooperatives are created with the share capital provided by the women and aim to achieve x to rethink the relationships between financial self-reliance by generating income the producer organizations and through the provision of goods or services. their members (e.g. How are the members involved in the organization’s SEWA’s services – from trainings to the management and strategy? How does collection of insurance fees in villages – are the organization provide support and costed out to the members who are willing guidance to its members so they are to pay because they know the quality and the empowered?); and benefit of the services. External funding (i.e. loans or grants) serve as a complement to the x to better organize and leverage strategic organization’s resources. In this sense, SEWA and innovative partnerships to achieve strives to not depend on external funds to common purposes. pursue its activities and adjusts its development and its resources accordingly. SEWA will accept What then are the necessary components external funding from governments and of such a new model for Africa? One donors when projects are consistent with their possibility is to promote a locally based values, but not just for money. network of organizations providing cross- cutting services (e.g. training, microfinance, Overall, the challenges identified above managerial and human capacity building and are interlinked and tackling them may require advocacy) linked with a specific activity (or a new or alternative development path for value chain) at the local level. The success of these women-based organizations. The such a structure will depend largely on: week-long exchange between SEWA and the African leaders highlighted or revealed x the capacity of its members – and very clearly the need for African producer not just one leader – to involve all organizations to “rethink their development people within the organization in model” and focus on strengthening the local implementing activities (i.e. decentralized economy and building available resources. empowerment); SEWA offers an interesting starting point for this reflection as it presents a successful and x the ability to ensure that planned inspiring model of institution-building based activities match endogenous resources

49 THE ROLE OF WOMEN PRODUCER ORGANIZATIONS IN AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS

as much as possible (this may take time (albeit reduced) for the services received. and will require a phased approach); and This moves beyond the perpetual state and attitude of dependency on outside x a focus on needs-based activities, assistance, and is the only certain way to including targeting solutions to speciﬁc ensure the self-reliance, evolution and groups depending on their needs and durability of development programmes. ensuring that beneﬁciaries pay the price

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSIONS

5. CONCLUSIONS

While women play an important role in x understanding power relations in value agricultural development as producers chains is essential to empower women and workers, they are often excluded from producers in value chains; the more profitable part of agricultural value chains. They face more constraints x promoting gender-sensitive policies and than men in accessing productive assets, programmes can enable poor small-scale knowledge, technologies and information, women producers and their households and face cultural inequalities, all of which to benefit fully from value chains. reduce their chance to engage in markets. Individual and collective empower- The initiatives presented in this report ment matters show that organizations led by women provide an important space for individual When women—even those with very and collective empowerment and can low levels of education—are given the improve women’s position in markets. SEWA opportunity to access education and credit offers a particularly successful example of an and participate in economic activities, their organization that enables women to become self-esteem, their capabilities and social status effective and competitive producers. But are enhanced. The experience of associating, this experience also highlights that there experimenting and succeeding can trigger are no predetermined pathways to success; women’s potential and empowerment, build organizations, activities and programmes their bargaining power and enable them to should evolve “organically”, in response find their own strategies to make their voices to the needs of individuals. The lessons heard. learned about mainstreaming women into agricultural development include the The way women organize can vary following: from self-help groups to cooperatives. A key element is to build women’s individual x individual and collective empowerment capabilities to develop their own forms of matters for women’s economic collaboration and to lead and manage their development; economic activities in an efficient way. x a holistic approach that links economic “When women are empowered and social benefits is more favourable for and organized, they are more able women’s needs than a programme that to produce high-quality goods and focuses on a single issue; manage their livelihoods so that they

53 THE ROLE OF WOMEN PRODUCER ORGANIZATIONS IN AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS

are more flexible to market demand.” relations must be understood in order (Mayoux, 2009). for poor small-scale women producers to improve their position in value chains. Most A holistic approach is more favourable women producers join an organization to improve their position in a specific node of An intersectoral approach linking economic the chain, such as having access to inputs, empowerment and social security (e.g. health processing or marketing their produce. care, child care) is essential to enable women to participate effectively in value chain However, true chain empowerment development. The challenge is to support requires that producers become involved in women to develop their own strategy to managing the chain (Laven, 2009). SEWA seize economic opportunities while reducing illustrates this strategy. After conducting or managing risks. SEWA offers a good grassroots systemic research, it developed example of this intersectoral approach, specific commodity value chains by linking encompassing: (1) capital formation (e.g. women producers, processors and traders land, equipment, technology) through access and eliminating intermediaries. As a result, to financial services; (2) capacity building to be women have control over the different competitive in the market; (3) social security nodes of the chain and benefit from to reduce risks (especially health and natural equitable income distribution. Women lead resource-related); and (4) collective strengths this change process through SEWA, which to increase women’s bargaining power and helps them: their voice in markets and policy-making. x develop their self-confidence and en- The combination of these different aspects trepreneurial skills to seize market is important as women get involved in trade opportunities while coping with market and economic activities occupations where pressure; incomes might be substantially higher but where competition and related risks are also x strengthen their capacity as well as higher. Once more, the challenge is to raise the capacity of their organizations to opportunities while reducing or mitigating negotiate the conditions under which risks. For organizations, the challenge is to they want to associate with other private find the right balance between a marked- and public actors in the chain; oriented objective and the objective to remain inclusive. x develop partnerships with other organizations working to promote Understanding power relations is women’s empowerment in agricultural essential value chains.

Power relations among producers, proces- This business model of value chain sors, wholesalers and buyers along a value development distributes risks and rewards chain determine the degree to which more equitably across the chain, ensures revenues are distributed evenly or unevenly transparency in market information and (e.g. through price negotiations, terms of builds the capacity of all the actors. payments, assumption of risk). These power

54 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSIONS

The Gender Action Learning System used x encouraging bottom-up participatory with coffee producers in western Uganda approaches to policy design and provides another interesting approach to implementation at the local level;11 analysing gender issues in value chains. This methodology combines an economic value x promoting mechanisms to manage and chain analysis with a process of community- mitigate risks (e.g. self-help groups and led change in which women and men solidarity networks, savings and insurance analyse the opportunities and constraints services, social security schemes). they face and elaborate development plans (including business plans and markets Overall, it is necessary to foster a new analyses). This approach has revealed that development paradigm based on integrated, women’s empowerment along the value participatory and interconnected networks chain beneﬁts not only the women, but of local organizations, including men also their families, private businesses along and women farmers’ organizations, local the value chain and national economies government agencies, private sector banks, (Mayoux, 2010).10 businesses and support services, the research community and NGOs that target local Participatory and gender-sensitive agricultural and market development aimed policies and programmes are at building social capital and improving important for sustainable agricultural farmers’ livelihoods, especially for the poorest development and most marginalized people.

Mainstreaming gender into policies and The way forward: Learning, programmes can enhance gender equality experimenting, empowering in economic activities, access to markets and agricultural value chains. This requires: Rethinking development by revisiting the role of women and their organizations in x removing legal barriers to women’s access shaping the African agriculture development and control or ownership of productive agenda comes at a very opportune time. assets (e.g. land, livestock, equipment); The recent food crisis has emphasized access to education, training and the urgent need to design new ﬁnancial extension services; and access to credit. and technical mechanisms to support the This also relates to the need for legal agricultural sector, especially food crops, recognition of women as producers; with particular attention to small-scale women producers. This will be effective if x facilitating ﬁnancial and technical women and men participate on an equal support to producers’ organizations basis in designing and implementing these working on staple food chains, where mechanisms. women are very active;

11 For more recommendations on policy options, see Gender and Rural Employment Policy brief # 10 For more information on this initiative, see www. 4 Agricultural value chain development: threat or wemanglobal.org opportunity for women’s employment?, FAO 2010

55 THE ROLE OF WOMEN PRODUCER ORGANIZATIONS IN AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS

This means strengthening women and of successful initiatives as well as support for their organizations’ capacity to articulate their pilot activities and spaces where women’s positions and proposals and to participate organizations and networks can learn from actively in policy advocacy. This also each other’s experiences. means raising awareness among producer organizations, private companies and public This report highlighted that success is institutions on the important role played by built through a process of individual and women in agricultural development and food collective experimentation, innovations and security. Ultimately, giving equal opportunities progress, and that it is important to leverage to women and men to participate in value local capacities and actions and promote self- chain development is a winning long-term reliance, particularly in the areas of ﬁnance strategy that will contribute to reducing and human resources. It is important to poverty and generating economic and social determine how to assist without undermining wealth. In this process, it is important to the institutions’ autonomy. Therefore this not lock women into existing roles within report calls upon development agencies and agriculture (Murphy, 2010). policy-makers to promote mechanisms that will progressively reduce dependence on Governments and development agencies the international community and promote are already engaged in concrete programmes self-reliance. These mechanisms will need and initiatives to facilitate smallholders’ to include new ways of approaching gender linkages to markets and promote rural issues in agricultural and rural development employment. However, addressing gender in order for men and women to equally dimensions in these issues requires further participate and beneﬁt. attention, further research and dissemination

56 REFERENCES

for women’s empowerment?” Gender References and rural employment policy brief #4, FAO.

Laven A. 2009. “Empowering rural entrepreneurs” The Broker, Oct. 2009, Bhatt E. 2006. “We are poor but so many. Issue 16, pp.14-16. The story of self-employed women in India.” New York. Oxford University Press. Jhabvala R., Desai S., Dave J. 2009. “Empowering women in an insecure Bhatt E. 1999. “Towards second freedom.” world. Joining SEWA makes a difference.” For SEWA Academy, Ahmedabad, India. SEWA Academy supported by UNIFEM.

Bhatt E. 2010. Speech at annual meeting of Mayoux L. 2009. “Engendering beneﬁts WIEGO. Brazil. for all”, The Broker, Oct. 2009, Issue 16, pp.17-18. Coulibaly Y. M., Tadjou F., Bagayoko E. 2010. “Strengthening the position of Murphy S., for IIED 2010. “Changing women in agricultural markets through perspectives: small-scale farmers, markets collective action.” First Research Report and globalization.” Report 2010, Hivos for OXFAM and Royal Tropical Institute. Knowledge Programme.

FAO. 2009. “The state of agricultural SEWA. 2009. “Enabling market access. commodity markets: High food prices and SEWA’s efforts and initiatives” the food crisis – experiences and lessons learned.” Rome. “Developing agriculture as an industry. The SEWA’s agriculture campaign” FAO, IFAD, ILO. 2010. “Gender dimensions of agricultural and rural employment: ------2003. “Methods of producing Differentiated pathways out of poverty. industrial salt from ground water” Status, trends and gaps.” Rome. ------2000. “Does empowerment FAO, IFAD, ILO. 2010. “Agricultural value matter for economic development?” chain development: Threat or opportunity Reema Nanavaty

57 Inducing institutional and organizational change to foster greater economic opportunities for small holders is often best achieved by enabling stakeholders to directly confront and compare alternative models of development operating within socio-economic and political environments different from their own. It is this basic premise that motivated FAO to initiate an Exposure and Exchange Programme (EEP): to enable selected women farmers’ organizations from West and Central Africa and India’s SEWA (Self-Employed Women Association) to exchange and learn from their experiences. The week-long EEP, held in November 2010 and hosted by SEWA in Ahmedabad, state of Gujarat, India, provided an arena to showcase the SEWA development model in action and for African and Indian women leaders to hold group discussions and exchanges on the roles of small holders in markets. The discussions and exchanges enabled the FAO facilitating team to identify and formulate a number of important insights and lessons about capacity building. This report critically evaluates the SEWA model and draws conclusions relevant to African women producers organizations to better meet the challenges of raising Africa’s agricultural potential, improve incomes for small farmers, and ensure greater food security.