Over 9,700 people get accessed to high earnings and new technology

Women participants in the project

The EOWE Project, part of the “Funding Leadership and Opportunities for Women (FLOW)” programme, is being implemented in the provinces of Binh Thuan, Ninh Thuan, Quang Binh, and Binh Dinh by the SNV Netherlands Development Organization between 2016 and 2020, with funding from the Netherlands’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The FLOW-EOWE project aims to advance women’s economic participation and self-reliance by creating a conducive environment for female entrepreneurship as a vehicle for change. It focuses its support on women working in agribusinesses by increasing their access to agribusiness models, assets, technology, markets, and information. In order to increase incomes and improve the livelihoods of women in agriculture value chains, the project supports and promotes climate-smart agricultural business models and female leadership in farmer groups and cooperatives. In addition, it works to transform traditional gender roles within households and communities that inhibit women from starting or advancing businesses; increase the gender-sensitivity of key policies and laws; and establish a women’s economic platform and network.

In Binh Thuan province, the FLOW/EOWE has been implemented in Ham Thuan Bac, Ham Thuan Nam districts and 3 dragon fruit cooperatives of Thuan Tien, Ham Minh 30 and Ham Duc with a total area of 132 hectares over 86 households (64 women). The project has helped develop rice farming models using the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) on a total of 232ha/301 households (181 women) in Ham Thuan Bac Tuy Phong, and Tanh Linh districts. It has also supported for 4 cooperatives of Long Huong, Long Dien 1, Hoa Thanh, and Duc Binh.

Addressing the workshop, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural development stated that: Over the past 5 years, over 9,700 employees has got high incomes and accessed to agriculture technology. There are 970 women qualified with leadership and management roles. Under the project, the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has partnered with the local Women’s Union in a range of activities to raise women’s income from agribusiness, with the main focus on rice, cashew nuts, and dragon fruit farming.

Furthermore, the project has given assistance to local agricultural cooperatives in developing collective trademarks, trademarking their branded logo and package design, and marketing their products.

Translated by My Thien (Source: Binh Thuan Online)