Exildah, 24, is one of many women who, with the support of the
Agriculture Support Programme, has found her way out of poverty and
improved her life considerably.
Exildah Mwambazi from a family of poor small farmers in the Mbala
district of Zambia is now an entrepreneur with self-confidence and hope
for the future. She was supported by a Sida-financed programme for
agricultural development, which focuses on gender equality.
Building her own house, raising chickens and growing more onions and
tomatoes are all part of Exildah’s plans. Soon, she will also complete her
education. As the eldest daughter, she was forced to give up her studies
and take care of her younger siblings.
Agriculture Support Programme (ASP) The programme, which ran between
2003 and 2008, has helped poor Zambian small farmers, both pmen and
women, to become self-assured entrepreneurs with
control over their own
lives.
The participants have learned how to draw up business plans and prepare
market analyses. This includes finding out which crops are in demand, the
market price in the region and the most effective cultivation methods. In
total, 4,400 households have participated in ASP activities.
Increased self-confidence among women
A report published in conjunction with the end of the programme in 2008,
showed that the ASP programme had very positive effects on gender
equality. Women have better control of household incomes than before,
men and women share the workload and women’s self-confidence has risen.
The programme was aimed at households, to both men and women, and
this is regarded as a success in gender equality terms. The co-operation to
turn families’ farming activities into effective small businesses
strengthened and developed women and improved their relations with
men. One lesson learned in recent years is that gender equality measures
should also involve men if they are to be sustainable in the long term.
SIDA
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