5 things we learned at #IWD2016
PIND’s empowerment forum on International Women’s Day took place at Orchid hotel in Asaba on March 8, 2016, Delta State, and served as an avenue for women farmers to share information and advocate for issues that militate against their economic development. The international theme for this year’s International Women’s Day was “Pledge for Parity”, so PIND’s event celebrated women farmers and discussed how women can achieve economic parity through agriculture. At this event were two interactive panels where women farmers could learn how to access funding for their businesses and share information on effectively organizing within their communities for their interests. 140 women
farmers came from throughout the Niger Delta, and through spirited engagements that took place, networked and learned from each on how best to mobilize and increase their incomes. Here are four big lessons we learned from the event.
1. Agriculture is Important to Achieving Economic Parity for Women
Dr. Osunbo of African Development Bank spoke at the forum, he provided statistics on the role of
agriculture in employment of women, and shared insight on how issues like land ownership held women
back from economic opportunity.
#pledgeforparity #iwd2016 women and agriculture in Nigeria. pic.twitter.com/C06txlumAc
— PIND (@PINDFoundation) March 11, 2016
What’s the role of agric and economic parity for women? Dr. Osunbo from AFDB answers: pic.twitter.com/tnBllxyflF — PIND (@PINDFoundation) March 11, 2016
2. Forums like these Bridge the Communications Gaps between Farmers and Financial Lenders.
The Forum provided an opportunity for women farmers and financial lenders to discuss access to finance. In a spirited conversation, many women farmers present urged the Bank of Agriculture and Lift Above Poverty to be responsive the reality of farmers, and charged the bank to do more to reach out to its purported stakeholders.
The representative from Lift Above Poverty Microfinance Bank talked to the farmers about what his institution is doing to improve access to finance for farmers. Both he and the representative from the Bank of Agriculture shared their contact information, and offered to guide the women present with loan and grant applications.
This is important, because so many women point out access to funding as a major challenge for their businesses.
Marian Anaomuogharan speaks on challenges women farmers face #iwd2016 #pledgeforparity pic.twitter.com/IYNYIVkupZ — PIND (@PINDFoundation) March 10, 2016
.
It was clear that, while women had many capacity gaps that needed to be filled in order to access loans, these financial institutions also needed to improve their outreach to truly help farmers.
3. Importance of Diversification
This event allowed for peer-to- peer learning among women farmers, and among the most useful tips for increased income shared was on the need to diversify what they grow. Women spoke of how sales from yield of crops like tomatoes that grow quickly can help fund the cultivation of more long-term crops like cassava and oil palm. Farmers also discussed other strategies for financial planning and phased investments like these that can help grow their businesses.
4. Increased Income Brings Confidence to Aspire to Leadership Roles
During her panel session, Jacqueline Acquaye-Effoh, board member of United Ufuoma Fish Farmers Association (UUFFA) in Warri, Delta State, spoke about how learning improved aquaculture practices from PIND helped her expand her business. Now she own 52 fish ponds and is a member of the Association’s board. She also encouraged other women to aspire to leadership roles in their community, and achieving economic development is a key driver for that to happen.
This farmer at our #IWD2016 event wants to take up Bank of Agriculture on their loan programs #pledgeforparity pic.twitter.com/VDxtNC8w7K — PIND (@PINDFoundation) March 10, 2016
Madam Esther, from Uvwie LG in Delta, shares challenges she’s facing as a fish farmer #pledgeforparity #IWD2016 pic.twitter.com/PaAaXtNrKT
— PIND (@PINDFoundation) March 9, 2016
5. Importance of Outreach for Awareness on Issues Facing Agropreneurs
This event was covered on social and traditional media. Adeshola Akomolafe, media expert at Media Insight, says that such exposure of these kinds of issues is important, as agroproneurs and advocacy organizations need to do more to ensure that these kinds of issues are given more media attention. It is clear that events like these are a good step, but so are continued engagements with media directly from women farmers.
