One-third of women in Asia work in the agricultural sector, but face barriers to accessing finance, land, education, and inputs compared to men. Yet, supporting women in agriculture has been proven to contribute to more equitable economic growth and strengthened rural economies.
Also in line with SDG15, the fund, partially financed by the International Development Research Centres (IDRC) and the company Corteva Agriscience, aims to promote women’s economic empowerment as well as incentivize public and private investment in gender-responsive policies and interventions. In particular, there is a strong focus on small rural enterprises.
One of the programs benefiting from this fund is Train Her to Promote Resilient, Inclusive Value Chains and Economic Empowerment (THRIVE). The joint initiative between Grow Asia and Corteva Agriscience was established in 2021 to improve women farmers’ skills in farm management, digital technology and business. Furthermore, the program provides business development and networking opportunities for women farmers, influencers and agripreneurs.
Over the next three years, Grow Asia aims to increase the fund to 5.6 million dollars and invest in other relevant programs. As described by Executive Director Beverly Postma, “Grow Asia’s central mission is to build more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable food systems. To do this, we need to engage women at every stage of agricultural value chains and empower them as decision-makers and leaders.” For more information on Grow Asia’s new fund you can find the press release here. Furthermore, our factsheet highlights, how Grow Asia is contributing to SDG15.
