2 Most Marginalized Women EP people in Rural Areas People & comms affected by disaster & environmental change Most marginalized in urban areas CARE Bangladesh Programming Framework

3 Women’s Empowerment-Theory of Change CARE Bangladesh Impact Statement on the most Socially, Economically and Politically Marginalized Women Women will be empowered by: Exercise of greater choice in decisions affecting their lives Reduced violence against women Strong Social movements built on women's solidarity and participation of men + X

4 CARE Bangladesh Strategic Directions Economic Empowerment Improved access to dignified employment for the poorest and most marginalized, especially women; markets for their products; information & services for their economic activities; and technical support for their entrepreneurial initiatives.

Goal of the Project 35,000 targeted landless and smallholding households mostly women in North and Northwestern Bangladesh have increased incomes and more sustainable livelihoods through incorporation into a strengthened milk value chain ( ) Increase production by improving access to inputs, markets, andservices by mobilizing groups of poor producers and input service provider Improve the milk collection system in rural and remote areas Improve the breeding/Artificial Insemination (AI) network Ensure access to quality animal health services at the producer level Improve the policy environment. Objectives of the Project

6 Gender Analysis of the Dairy Value Chain Highlighted the different position of men and women across the chain and addressing issues of power reflected in the production and exchange relationships Main Challenges Women and their HHs are not organized into groups to take advantage of training and other information. Women and girls consume less milk in the household than their male counterparts. Women do not have decision making authority on the livestock assets especially large ruminants. Gender roles and tradition limit women’s opportunities as dairy producers, collector, processors, livestock health worker and input seller Equal opportunities for independent women entrepreneurs cannot be found and leveraged. Women are overburdened as housekeepers, Small Scale Producers and day labourers

7 Improving Productivity and Capacity

8 Women LHW

9 Strategies Start with a few but being reflective on women barriers in the field and address those accordingly Introduce successful women farmer leaders and entrepreneurs as model for others (“Change agents”) Take positive discrimination for women (e.g. No training fees from women LHW, more refreshers) Work with family member and community elites of prospective women farmer leaders and entrepreneurs for motivating and reducing the work load for them LHW association

10 THANK YOU