Grow Asia and Corteva AgriscienceTM Partner to Progress Women's Economic Empowerment in Vietnam.
Photo: Grow Asia
One in three women in Southeast Asia are engaged in the agriculture sector. Yet, most of them face more barriers than men in the work they do. In Vietnam, while women make huge contributions to agriculture, especially in rural areas, they often have lesser access to resources such as land, information, capital and other inputs. Social norms and inherent inequalities also mean that rural women in particular are more vulnerable to external challenges such as climate change. This has only intensified with the ongoing pandemic.
Grow Asia and Corteva Agriscience™ have partnered to progress the economic empowerment of women farmers and agripreneurs in Southeast Asia. The joint initiative – called THRIVE (Train Her to Promote Resilient, Inclusive Value Chains and Economic Empowerment) – has two goals. The first is to help strengthen farm management, digital and business skills among women farmers. This will enable them to grow their productivity, incomes and ultimately resilience. The second goal is to directly support women farmers and agripreneurs through networking events and mentorship opportunities.
Following its launch in Indonesia earlier this April, THRIVE has since expanded into Vietnam in September.
In Vietnam, the program has been tailored to the local context and practical needs. Training sessions as well as business development and networking events are being launched for women farmers, farm-level influencers and agripreneurs. A mentoring program will also be organized to connect subject matter experts from Corteva directly with women agripreneurs and influencers.
The program is being piloted in 8 territories across Vietnam, including those in the Mekong River Delta, Southeast region, Central Highlands, and North region. Grow Asia’s Partnership for Sustainable Agriculture in Vietnam (PSAV) and the local Corteva team will be working together on this.
THRIVE aims to inspire sustainable progress for women farmers in Vietnam. By addressing the gender gap in education, connecting women agripreneurs and leaders, and facilitating multi-stakeholder partnerships, we can scale up practices and policies that will empower women in agriculture.
As part of the THRIVE initiative, we welcome new partners who share our passion for creating a better future for women farmers and agripreneurs. We are looking forward to collaborating with companies across the food value chain, government organizations, donors, academe and NGOs as we advance our efforts in Vietnam.
This article was originally published by Grow Asia.
