Monday, September 22, 2014

The Benefits of Supporting Women in Agriculture


One of the ways we'll be using the Eliminate Poverty NOW blog is to highlight related articles and videos addressing issues important to ending poverty around the world. Here's a good example.

We love to highlight how agriculture is being used to empower women. The positive social and economic impact that women can make is huge. When women are financially empowered they help not only themselves but all those around them. The FoodTank (a blog dedicated to sharing how we can end world hunger) recently posted an article and video discussing how additional resources provided to women farmers is a big plus for society as a whole. Supporting women farmers helps families (women typically invest more in raising children).  Closing the gender gap in farming also improves global economies and dramatically cuts down on global starvation. Watch the short, but insightful video right below:



For all these practical reasons, supporting women farmers is at the very heart of the work we do at Eliminate Poverty NOW. Empowering women helps end gender inequality, reduce poverty and reduce malnutrition by improving the food options of families across Africa. It's a win-win situation for everyone.


Help us support women in agriculture by sharing this article and information, or by supporting women farmers directly. At EPN we invest in women farmers through a variety of programs:  the Farmers of the Future program, the Songhai Women’s Capital Fund, and the Élevage sheep raising program* to name a few.  We hope to provide as many women as possible with the opportunity to achieve their dreams in agriculture for their families and communities.

Do you know of other ways that women in agriculture benefit the world around us? Do you know of other creative ways to support them? Share your thoughts and comment below!


*Élevage UpdateThe program is active with 41 women currently participating.  In addition to the 40 funded by EPN, the women have self-funded participation for another five.  Since then, two have moved away and two have passed, bringing participation down to 41. Repayment of the micro-loans has been 100% and no one has voluntarily dropped out of the program, which are both good signs.

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