Achieving gender equality and empowering women is not only a moral imperative but a strategic necessity for addressing global challenges such as extreme poverty, hunger, and climate change. Rural women play a pivotal role in agriculture, food security, and environmental sustainability. Their contributions are often undervalued and overlooked, hindering their full potential and impacting global progress toward a more equitable and sustainable future.
Rural women constitute a significant portion of the agricultural workforce, responsible for producing half of the world’s food. They possess invaluable knowledge and skills, honed through generations of experience, in managing natural resources, learning to cope with climate change, while trying to ensure food security for their communities.
These women represent an invaluable opportunity to be agents of change to switch to sustainable farming practices, such as drought-resistant seeds, organic soil management, and community-based reforestation, which is critical for mitigating climate change and preserving biodiversity.
Despite their significant contributions, women in agriculture face systemic barriers such as limited land ownership, unequal access to education and training, restricted financial services, and discriminatory social norms, all of which hinder their economic potential and decision-making power. Addressing these issues is crucial for empowering women and enhancing agricultural productivity.
These systemic barriers have far-reaching consequences, not only for rural women but for society as a whole. They perpetuate poverty, exacerbate food insecurity, and hinder efforts to address climate change. When rural women are marginalized and disempowered, their communities and the world suffer.
Recognising this critical nexus, Corteva Agriscience has implemented initiatives aimed at empowering women in the agricultural sector, particularly in South Africa. The Corteva Women Agripreneur Programme, a 12-month immersive programme, provides women with essential entrepreneurial, business, and leadership skills to thrive in the agricultural industry. The programme has achieved remarkable success, with a 92% graduation rate in its pilot launch in 2021. Furthermore, in 2022, a midway assessment revealed that 95% of the women agripreneurs experienced transformative shifts in their perspectives on business operations.
Over the past three years, the SoilSistas programme has benefited nearly one hundred women farmers, equipping them with the skills and resources to enhance their agricultural practices and business acumen. The programme has achieved significant results, including 36% revenue growth and 33% increase in profitability, retaining 277 jobs while also creating 178 new jobs.
The SoilSistas programme exemplifies the transformative power of targeted interventions. Kabelo Puling, an alumna from the 2023 cohort, embodies the programme’s success. Her enterprise, Pula Nala, meaning “rain brings blessings with it”, specialises in Soya Beans and Maize, employing 100 people, with 80% being women. Kabelo’s participation in the SoilSistas programme has enabled her to access grants and investments, propelling Pula Nala’s growth and impact in rural South Africa.
With rural communities in Limpopo Province facing unique challenges, Corteva Agriscience has decided to expand the SoilSistas programme to Moletji Village onboarding an additional of 50 women in the area for its 2024 cohort. This expansion aims to empower women farmers in the region, who possess rich inherited knowledge but lack formal training and technical expertise. By equipping them with essential technical skills and fostering commercial acumen, the programme aims to catalyse economic growth within the community.
The SoilSistas programme’s focus on sustainable agriculture practices is particularly noteworthy. By promoting organic farming, water conservation, crop rotation, and integrated pest management, the programme ensures environmental sustainability while enhancing agricultural productivity. This approach not only benefits the environment but also strengthens rural communities’ resilience to climate change.
The programme’s emphasis on facilitating market access for rural women entrepreneurs is equally important. Through training in market research, branding, packaging, and pricing strategies, the programme equips women with the skills to identify market opportunities and establish linkages with buyers and distributors.
However, much more needs to be done to dismantle the systemic barriers that impede rural women’s progress. This requires collective action from governments, international organizations, civil society, and the private sector.
As we celebrate the International Day of Rural Women, let us reflect on the critical question: How can we translate our recognition of rural women’s contributions into concrete actions that create lasting change?
By working together, we can create a world where rural women are empowered to reach their full potential, contributing to a more equitable, and sustainable future for all.
