{ "id": 8183, "date": "2024-02-07T11:52:30", "date_gmt": "2024-02-07T16:52:30", "guid": { "rendered": "https:\/\/businessschool.coop\/?p=8183" }, "modified": "2024-02-22T14:23:11", "modified_gmt": "2024-02-22T19:23:11", "slug": "celebrating-international-womens-day-with-a-closer-look-at-how-we-embraceequity", "status": "publish", "type": "post", "link": "https:\/\/businessschool.coop\/en\/celebrating-international-womens-day-with-a-closer-look-at-how-we-embraceequity\/", "title": { "rendered": "Celebrating International Women\u2019s Day with a closer look at how we #EmbraceEquity" }, "content": { "rendered": "

Every year during March, the U.S. and the broader global community come together to celebrate the achievements of women. Tomorrow, March 8, marks International Women\u2019s Day. And in the U.S., the entire month of March is a time to reflect on the legacy of trailblazing American women who have fought injustice, shattered barriers and broadened opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year\u2019s #EmbraceEquity campaign for International Women\u2019s Day is designed to start a global conversation about why \u201cequality\u201d and \u201cequity\u201d are not interchangeable. \u201cPeople start from different places, so true inclusion and belonging require equitable action,\u201d campaign organizers said. Learn more about the difference between equality and equity here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At NCBA CLUSA<\/a>, we believe that promoting gender equity is essential to building prosperous households, communities, businesses and cooperatives. We #EmbraceEquity in our work to build an inclusive economy that empowers people to achieve shared prosperity and well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To kick off this issue of Co-op Weekly, we\u2019re highlighting examples of how some of our global projects are implementing inclusive programming. Later this month, we\u2019ll uplift some of the women behind our work in the field on social media. Then on Thursday, March 30, we\u2019ll wrap up the month of March with a webinar highlighting NCBA CLUSA\u2019s gender equity work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GLOBAL | CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT FOR COOPERATIVE EXPANSION (CECE)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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In Peru, one unique activity highlighted recently is the CDP\u2019s support for Dulce Esperanza, a group of incarcerated women who want to grow their chocolate business and become a cooperative.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Through the Creating an Environment for Cooperative Expansion (CECE) project<\/a>, funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) Cooperative Development Program (CDP), NCBA CLUSA promotes women\u2019s inclusion, empowerment, and leadership in cooperatives in many ways. In Kenya, the CDP team helped several dairy cooperatives<\/a> amend their bylaws to reduce barriers for women\u2019s inclusion and leadership opportunities. Coupled with the ongoing women\u2019s cooperative membership campaigns in Meru and Nandi Counties, over 700 women have joined local cooperatives and 23 women have been elected to leadership positions across 8 dairy cooperatives. CDP partner Capital SACCO continues to grow their financial literacy and lending program for women, which now includes over 445 women participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Madagascar, coaching activities with cooperatives have focused on women\u2019s mentorship. Women coaches from ONI worker cooperative<\/a> are helping women in agricultural cooperatives develop leadership skills and confidence in themselves. As one cooperative member expressed, \u201cPersonally, I feel more comfortable listening to other women. The messages are clearer, and I have the courage to ask questions because the coach is someone like me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Tanzania, local partner Rural Urban Development Initiatives (RUDI)<\/a> implements coaching activities with 29 SACCOs and agricultural cooperatives, including two women-only cooperatives who are changing their communities\u2019 traditional mindsets about women\u2019s roles and capabilities. As one husband explained, \u201cI did not like my wife leaving the house to go to the cooperative, but I ended up accepting.\u201d As time went on and he saw the financial contributions his wife was making to their household because of her involvement in Kalali Women\u2019s Dairy Cooperative, his perspective changed. His wife said proudly, \u201che helps me with the chores so that I don\u2019t arrive late at the cooperative.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Peru, one unique activity highlighted recently is the CDP\u2019s support for Dulce Esperanza<\/a>, a group of incarcerated women who want to grow their chocolate business and become a cooperative. And, in Peru and Guatemala, the Coop Business School (CBS) continues to serve as an avenue for increasing women\u2019s participation in cooperatives through courses in digital marketing, branding, and social media communications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read on<\/a>\u00a0to learn how NCBA CLUSA is supporting a group of incarcerated women at the Women\u2019s Penitentiary in Quillabamba to form a cooperative.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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MADAGASCAR | USAID SUSTAINABLE VANILLA FOR PEOPLE AND NATURE (SVPN) ACTIVITY<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Sambava, Madagascar, Jan 13, 2017: A malagasy woman pollinate manually a vanilla flower<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In Madagascar, NCBA CLUSA has used the cooperative principles to guide our work on the USAID Sustainable Vanilla for People and Nature (SVPN) Activity<\/u><\/a>, locally known as Mafatoky. Mafatoky\u2019s goals are to create sustainable certified vanilla production that is environmentally friendly. While the project is focused on creating partnerships with vanilla producers and local commercial partners to sell vanilla in the international market, Mafatoky simultaneously promotes women\u2019s participation and leadership in cooperatives, and adapts project interventions to their specific needs. For example, Mafatoky trained women on poultry raising, providing them with an additional income-generating activity outside of the vanilla cooperatives. This ensures that women, regardless of the time of year, earn income to improve their own access to nutritious foods. In FY22, 1,700 chicks were distributed to trained cooperative members who were actively raising chickens and built improved chicken coops, ultimately increasing the availability of poultry more broadly in the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read on<\/em><\/a>\u00a0to learn about how Mafatoky is utilizing local reforestation projects to help tackle both deforestation and climate change.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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U.S. | USDA STRENGTHENING CO-OP CAPACITY FOR HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED FARMERS PROJECT<\/h4>\n\n\n
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NCBA CLUSA is proud to highlight the women in cooperatives who are leading their organizations and working with us to strengthen the cooperative ecosystem. The number of women farm operators has grown significantly in the last few decades. As reported by the Census of Agriculture<\/a>, 56% of all farming operations have at least one female decision maker and they are farming millions of acres. As NCBA CLUSA works to strengthen our cooperative ecosystem, explore the women-led cooperatives we work with through our USDA-funded Strengthening Co-op Capacity for Historically Underserved Farmers Project<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n