IFAD Gender Awards 2015

West and Central Africa
Agricultural Value Chains Support Project, Senegal
Since starting work in 2010, the project has successfully integrated women into
agricultural production, processing and marketing. It has also supported work
to increase women’s access to land within households and the community.
Women community leaders play a significant role during the negotiation
processes. With the greater security regarding their access to land, women’s
engagement in agricultural production has been significantly strengthened.
Through microprojects, women now have better access to training, inputs
and markets. Tools and equipment have reduced drudgery and improved
productivity. Women now represent 62 per cent of beneficiaries in market
access microprojects, 59 per cent in value chain development microprojects,
and 71 per cent of beneficiaries with vegetable gardens. They also account
for over one third of family farm advisers. To promote consumption of local
products, more than 800 women have been trained to process and cook
local cereals.
Over 20,000 women have benefited from leadership and financial management
training. They are now well represented in leadership positions of various
organizations: 52 per cent in farmer organizations and 46 per cent in their
federations, and 56 per cent in value chain round tables.
The good practices are being scaled up in a new project and used by the
Ministry of Agriculture as a reference point for other interventions. Villages
have also experienced strengthened solidarity and reduced rural exodus among
young participants.
http://operations.ifad.org/web/ifad/operations/country/project/tags/senegal/1414/project_
overview
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©IFAD/David Paqui