A better position of women in African emerging markets provides advantages for women as well as for companies. It can contribute to social and economic developments.
In this article, on the website Over Ondernemen (‘About entrepreneurship’) and in a magazine of the Financieel Dagblad (Financial Newspaper), Claire van der Kleij (Country Coordinator of AgriProFocus in Zambia) explains how AgriProFocus is committed to improving the position of women in value chains. For this purpose, Gender in Value Chains coaching trajectories are organized, with training and coaching aimed at farmers and businesses. Angelica Senders, consultant at Fair & Sustainable Consulting, was hired to support these trajectories for AgriProFocus. Van der Kleij already sees the results. A cotton company now buys thirteen percent of its cotton women’s groups. Until now this was only seven percent. In addition, a company active in the seed and fertilizer industry realized a sales increase of forty percent, after having hired more female sellers. These examples show how attention to gender benefits to both women and businesses.
If you want to know more about the Gender in value chain coaching trajectory in Zambia watch this video on Youtube (in English).
