Mennonite Economic DevelopmentAssociates of Canada

Published purpose

This project aims to reach an estimated 40,000 women smallholder farmers and entrepreneurs in the poorest regions of northern Ghana, most at risk of COVID-19 pandemic-related rise in food insecurity. This project supports women working in three crop value-chains. Project activities include: (1) offering agricultural and financial capacity-building; (2) broadening women’s access to labour-saving, innovative technologies through existing commercial outlets; (3) engaging male gender advocates; (4) working with traditional leaders; and (5) working directly with individual households to raise awareness of the respective contributions of all members. This project helps to shift social norms around the distribution of domestic work and facilitate women’s continued success and empowerment in the future, by raising awareness within communities of the importance and overall benefits of women’s economic participation. This project also boosts women farmers’ resilience to climate change by promoting diversification of crops and ecologically sound agricultural, food sustainability and organic waste management practices.