Ivory Coast Archives - Women Speak

Ivory Coast: Women cooperative for vegetables transforms rural village

In Fapaha, a village on the northern Ivory Coast, women have formed a cooperative to grow and sell vegetables and legumes with a goal of gaining financial independence without relying on handouts. Supported by the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP), which provided farming tools and market access, the women now sell produce to the local school canteen and a local market garden. This initiative has empowered them to play a more significant role in the village’s traditionally male-dominated society. More women work in agriculture on the Ivory Coast than any other sector, making up 42.9% of the agricultural workforce. However, they face persistent land ownership challenges, with only 8% owning land, compared to 22% of men. Initiatives such as this cooperative are changing this narrative and providing pathways for women that benefit entire communities.

Gender Equality In The Cocoa Trade: Two Female Farmers From Cote d’Ivoire Readdress The Balance

Katherine2020-10-06T23:33:28-04:00Country: Ivory Coast|

Aminata Bamba and Traore Awa are two women leading the charge on gender equality in the cocoa industry in Western Africa. Both with senior positions in their cocoa cooperatives, Ecookim and CAYAT cocoa cooperative respectively, and having returned from a Fairtrade Conference, they defy the traditional gender roles prevalent in their country and help lift the taboo on women leadership. In a community where unpaid labour often mean that women working throughout the production chain are often not recognised and gender expectations result in a male-dominated industry, the Fairtrade Women’s School of Leadership is working to empower women to take the lead and has trained 413 women in Awa’s community. Their program provides guidance and business support and last year’s conference tackled the future of trade and systemic issues in supply chains. Photo credit: Tony Myers.