A Fin4Dev Impact Project 8th December, 2015

TARGET AUDIENCE

The General Public, Corporations, Governments (Both Developed and Developing) Multilateral institutions,

International/National Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOS), Multinationals and Domestic companies,

philanthropists, clergies, traditional institutions etc

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Why Empower Women? i. Reduction in inequality ii. Agricultural Growth and Development iii. Fostering Social and Economic Growth iv. Path Towards Sustainable Development v. Enhancing Food Security

STATISTICS ON THE NEED TO EMPOWER WOMEN

i. Adult literacy in women of ages 15 and above has remained at 49.81% as compared to men at 71.96% (airflows)

ii. Gross primary school enrolment of all females have average 80% as against 87% for males

iii. They constitute 43% of the worlds agricultural labour force, which rises to 70% in some countries

iv. 80% of agricultural products in Africa comes from small farmers, who are mostly rural women

v. They lack access to and control over land

WHY THE DISCREPANCY?

i. Persisting Cultural Stereotype ii. Abuse of religious & traditional Practices iii. Patriarchal societal structures, where economics, political and social power are dominated by men.

HOW TO ACHIEVE THE OBJECTIVES?

i. Government can help by providing extension services, storage facilities and road networks into rural areas for transfer of surplus to the market.ii. Reforming land laws in order to strengthened women’s

land ownership rights.

iii. Formulation of policies that will promote the involvement of women in socioeconomic activities, as well as protecting them from the asymmetries that prevent rural women from being protected against the effects of climate change.

iv. Training rural women to adopt modern agricultural techniques that are tailored to local conditions with a view to achieving economic development without degrading the environment.

v. Granting them access to financial services in forms of loans, grants and concessional facilities.

WAYS OF FINANCING

i. Setting up agricultural credit schemes with single digit interest rates by governments

ii. Donors could fund pilot programmes for capacity building initiative or skill building for Rural Women

iii. Setting up of Social-Impact Bond (SIB) i.e. a mistake holder partnership to leverage private capital to take up the financial risks of expanding the project

iv. Encouraging private voluntary contributions through matching funds

v. Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) can also assist by using a result based financing solutions.

CONCLUSION

Since the global focus of debate about development financing has broadened from the quantity of aid to its quality-including its power to leverage other sources of finance (WBG). Nations and indeed other development partners should come to terms with this reality, knowing that the ever changing economic landscape will require an unprecedented level of cooperation among governments, donors, and the private sector for any sustainable development to be achieved.