Empowering women is smart development. When a woman is empowered, she can contribute in new and greater ways to her family, community and country. And families with empowered women are more resilient when hard times hit.
Feed the Future’s work with women throughout agriculture and food systems is unleashing their potential and sparking new opportunities to create a more food-secure future. Women participate in all aspects of the food system, from farming and research to trade and marketing to entrepreneurship, leadership and caring for family members. Agriculture, in particular, is a unique catalyst for economically empowering women as they represent nearly half of the agricultural labor force in developing countries.
Feed the Future’s work to promote women’s empowerment is also reflected in a larger effort that is advancing entrepreneurship by bringing workforce development and skills training to women and girls, helping them access capital, markets and mentorship, as well as removing restrictive legal, regulatory and cultural barriers. Earlier this month, the U.S. Government launched
the
Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative
, its first-ever whole-of-government approach to promoting women’s economic empowerment.
Feed the Future is excited about the momentum to continue helping women overcome barriers and gain equal access to tools, resources and opportunities. Read on to see how Feed the Future and our partners transform lives, communities and countries by lifting up women and girls.
