Women Accessing Realigned Markets (WARM) Project Strengthening the Capacity of Women Farmers to Influence Agricultural Policy Development in Southern Africa Sithembile Ndema

MOZAMBIQUE WINS AFRICAN GENDER AWARD 2009 President H.E. Armando Guebuza, on the 29 th August, recieved on behalf of Mozambique the 2009 African Gender Award The award is a statuette inspired the story of an African woman facing social, political and economic challenges Mozambique won the award in recognition for what the country has done for women well-being and the society as a whole The prize is a reflection of the challenges women face in their lives Maputo, 28 Aug (AIM) - Mz/sg (373)

What is “Women Accessing Realigned Markets (WARM) Project”

Purpose of Project To increase women farmers’ access to appropriate agricultural inputs by empowering them – to express their needs – to generate evidence that is used to align policy research agendas and service institutions to meet women farmers’ needs.

Project Objectives To provide a platform for communities to dialogue on issues that affect women farmers’ access to input markets Empower women farmers to play a more active role in driving the development agenda To align development research agenda to women farmers’ issues Align input supply institutions and programs to women farmer needs To bring women farmer concerns into national and regional policy debates

Why focus on women Women in Sub-Saharan African countries constitute 70% of the agricultural workers Women provide 60-80% of the labor to produce food for household consumption and sale. Women responsible for: 100% of the processing of basic foodstuffs 80% of food storage and transport from field to village 90% of the hoeing and weeding work 60% of the harvesting and marketing activities (FAO Women and Population Division, 2007).

WARM Project Interventions Access to services, credit, research Agricultural extension – information and knowledge Access to appropriate technology Access to input and output markets Participation in policy processes

Project Outcomes Local Level Women farmers and their communities understand how input markets can better serve them Knowledge and ideas aligned to development plans Agricultural productivity and livelihoods improve Theatre continues (after WARM) to serve as a mechanism for VOICE

Project Outcomes National Level Key research institutions, media, policy makers and farmer groups become more sensitive to the specific needs of women farmers Women’s concerns incorporated into the research and policy agendas. Women farmers’ participation in leadership positions and policy discussions solicited.

Project Outcomes Regional Level WARM outputs inform continent-wide plans and investments e.g. Alliance for Commodity Trade in East and Southern Africa (ACTESA), AU/NEPAD CAADP WARM creates public / private partnerships and policy harmonization for improving regional procurement and distribution of inputs

Project Design and Implementation

Project Design and Implementation Plan

Key Partners National Policy-Makers Development NGOs Research Institutions Farmer Organizations

Theatre for Policy Action Theater for Policy Advocacy (TPA) - a form of participatory theatre that allows women to engage their communities in developing solutions to their problems

Why Theatre for Policy Advocacy Traditional African Culture is ORAL: 1.Song, dance, narrative and ceremonial rituals  a part of African tradition  define a community’s identity 2.Theatre a powerful medium for communicating ideas  Levels the field,  Breaks barriers and  Addresses topics that are deemed “taboo”

Theatre for Policy Action 1.TPA stimulates dialogue and action - a theatrical performance is a major social event in rural Africa 2.The holistic enactment of the community's responses to the challenges of daily existence and development 3.Developed and refined by various development agents, researchers, social scientists and theatre specialists 4.Works through community based processes

Theatre for Policy Action Community entry and mobilization Engagement of key community stakeholders and development experts Building local capacity to communicate key messages through theatre Packaging key policy messages Community dialogue platform Identification of champions for community issues Community Voice PROCESS

YEAR ONE TARGETS

Year One: July 09-June 2010 Mobilization of partners Training of researchers Household livelihoods surveys Analysis of existing policies and legal framework on input markets Collection of data on Input distribution systems

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