With the aim of bringing relief to women, the main victims of the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic in rural areas, the Réseau des Femmes Leaders pour le Développement (Women Leaders for Development Network) held an exchange meeting with a group of a dozen housewives from the commune of ifangni, Plateau department, on Wednesday September 14, 2022. Organized as a prelude to the pilot phase of the project to strengthen the economic and financial power of rural women, the meeting was held at the network’s head office in Porto-Novo.
The project has two main components. The first focuses on women’s economic empowerment. In particular, participants will be able to carry out the following tasks:
- Develop/reinforce entrepreneurial training tools;
- Help women develop their business plans;
On September 14, 2022, a dozen women took over the premises of the Réseau des Femmes Leaders pour le Développement. The meeting had a single objective: to learn more about the project to strengthen economic and financial empowerment, and to raise awareness of how to ensure its successful implementation. While many organizations have made significant efforts to put in place gender-sensitive aid policies for COVID-19, the Réseau des Femmes Leaders pour le Développement has no intention of lagging behind. That’s why, with a technical committee made up of dynamic young people qualified in field studies, a sound diagnosis has been made. According to the results of this diagnosis, rural women, particularly those in the ifangni commune, remain exposed to the risks of food insecurity, underemployment and increased gender-based violence, and to economic and financial power that is ineffective enough to meet the ever-increasing cost of living.
As an organization committed to women’s empowerment and financial fulfillment, RFLD intends to use this project to reduce the consequences of low purchasing power, which disproportionately affect rural women. The session was also an opportunity for the project committee to explain to the women the objectives of the partnership, as well as RFLD’s expectations.
