Women play crucial roles in agricultural value chains. However, their contribution often remains invisible, which can lead to inefficient chains. Business opportunities suffer as a result and profits are lower and/or unequally distributed. According to the FAO, women would produce 20-30 % more food if they had the same access to resources as men, and their families would enjoy better health, nutrition and education.
Gender differences and inequalities in access to and control over resources affect the ways in which value chains operate at every level. Understanding those inequalities is critical in addressing weak linkages that hamper the upgrading of a value chain, and to effectively reduce poverty and increase the empowerment of all actors involved.
Fair & Sustainable promote gender-sensitive development of value chains by motivating and supporting practitioners to integrate a gender perspective in all stages of their value chain development programs: analysis, implementation and monitoring and evaluation. Mainstreaming the integration of gender perspectives is a fundamental approach that we follow to create awareness and increase the capacity of development partners in their program delivery. Practical tools that focus on the empowerment of women have been widely applied in different sectors.
Recent Projects
Developing sustainable and scalable gender-responsive services along agri-food value chains. Business models for gender-responsive service delivery – FAO, 2021-2022
Conceptual framework and case studies
Consultants: Angelica Senders, Emma Feenstra, Mieke Vanderschaeghe, Janna Visser
Provision and facilitation of a Gender in Value Chains online training for the members of the Sector Network Rural Development – GIZ, 2021
Online training for GIZ staff across Africa and Asia to help them apply a gender-sensitive approach in their value chain development projects.
Consultants: Angelica Senders, Emma Feenstra
Improving Market Opportunities for Women Agricultural Producers (IMOW) – MEDA, 2021-2022
Final valuation of the GAC/Canada-funded Improving Market Opportunities for Women (IMOW) program in Shan and Kayin States.
Consultants: Angelica Senders, Peter Ton
Development of a Practical Guide on Gender Inclusion and Compliance with the RSPO principles and criteria – Round Table for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), 2020
Practical tools & strategies to inform and engage with business on the necessity to apply gender-inclusive practices.
Consultants: Angelica Senders, Marjoleine Motz
Gender Responsive Equitable Agriculture and Tourism (GREAT) Program in N-Vietnam – Aus4Equality, 2020
Gender advisor to the DFAT funded program to help tailor its approaches to improve women’s economic empowerment in a MSD context.
Consultant: Angelica Senders
