EMPOWERED WOMEN DRIVE ECONOMIES .

Did you know? In the regions of Gao and Segou in Mali, less than 5 percent of land managers are women, but more than 30 percent of these women are head of households, often widows, responsible for food, healthcare, and school fees for their children. The national gender policy in Mali, launched in 2011, indicates that in the region of Segou, 77 percent of female farm workers do not receive any compensation. Of these, only 18 percent work for themselves. In addition, the study shows that just 10 percent of female farm workers own working animals and plows, and only 20 percent can afford small farm equipment. Without their own land heritage as collateral, rural women have fewer opportunities to access funding for their activities through the traditional financial system. To mitigate these inequalities that hinder the country’s competitiveness internationally, the government of Mali calls for “solidarity with the most disadvantaged populations, particularly towards women and rural youth, through the principle of equity and the implementation of specific actions to fight against poverty.” Using this window of opportunity, 2SCALE initiated a series of actions to increase access to land for female vegetable growers involved in a vegetable partnership in Segou. continue