Rural Women: Agents of Change
Rural women make up more than a quarter of the global population. They are an indispensable part of agriculture but are hindered in their progress by persistent and pervasive gender-based barriers and biases.
Corteva Agriscience has been working hard to close the gender gap as part of our effort to deliver on our mission: to enrich the lives of those who produce and those who consume, ensuring progress for generations to come. Creating the blueprint for empowering rural women began by listening to their experiences globally.
More than 4,000 rural women across five continents were surveyed by Corteva in 2018. This extensive study revealed many women want training to take advantage of the agricultural technology that has become essential for financial success and environmental stewardship. In fact, training emerged as the most commonly cited need among the respondents for removing gender inequality obstacles, along with support and providing public awareness of successful women in agriculture and the gender discrimination they encounter.
Corteva leaned in and listened to rural women's voices, and with these insights, two initiatives were born that are powerful catalysts for rural women participants' professional development in the agriculture industry. Investing in rural women's empowerment creates a path towards gender equality, poverty eradication and inclusive economic growth. ?
In Europe, Corteva's TalentA educational grant program began with a pilot in Spain in 2019. It has since gone from strength to strength and is now running in eight countries around the world. So far, more than 1200 agri entrepreneurs have benefited from this experience. This IDRW, there will be events announcing the 2023 winners announced Ukraine, Hungary and Romania, with new editions set to launch in Portugal and Spain. With each round of TalentA, its impact grows, creating the positive changes we need to create an equitable and sustainable agribusiness sector.
Our Women Agripreneur Program in South Africa, the SoilSistas program , also addresses gender inequality issues in agriculture at the grassroots. In 2021, Corteva Agriscience launched its inaugural SoilSistas program facilitated by the Gordon Institute of Business Science's Entrepreneurship Development Academy. Since it began, it has bolstered Africa's women farmers – who grow some 70% of the continent's food.
These participants' phenomenal level of talent fuels the success of TalentA and SoilSistas. Each edition is an opportunity for us to put the role of women in agriculture in the spotlight and spread awareness of their essential role, and influence others to consider a career in agriculture.
We have been putting women in agriculture on the EU political agenda through our ongoing collaboration with @COPA COGECA, including through the #Inspirers campaign showcasing the work of rural women. This project put the spotlight on women in agriculture from Corteva and COPA COGECA farmers. They share their career journey, progress, and advice for women considering a career in the industry, culminating in an event at the European Parliament. Recently, we helped deliver the COPA COGECA Innovation Award for Women Farmers, highlighting and awarding the work of European women farmers driving sustainability.
Last but by no means least, the EMEA employee-led Women's Inclusion Network (WIN) is helping drive change within our organization. WIN is one of the Corteva Business Resource Groups which are instrumental in helping us cultivate a diverse workforce. Our #BRGs embrace the different perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds of our colleagues and strive to ensure everyone feels valued for their unique qualities and contributions.
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WIN is doing some exceptional work in advancing Inclusion, Diversity and Equity, both internally and across our sector and I had the pleasure of speaking at two WIN events last week in Kyiv and Geneva.
Speaking virtually, I told colleagues in Ukraine how I continue to be astounded by their strength and resilience. I'm so proud of how Corteva has stood up for Ukraine since the start of the war. As the country looks at how to rebuild itself, we must ensure that women are fully engaged in this effort. One way we're mobilizing women in the recovery effort is through the #TalentA program, providing rural women with access to education, mentoring and grants which enable them to ensure the viability of their businesses, while providing social support and food security for communities.
It was a pleasure to speak at another #WIN event to mark the 2023 #IDRW at our Regional Business Center in Geneva. I spoke of the need to involve women in the successful transition to a more sustainable and food-secure future, highlighting how programs like TalentA in Europe and #SoilSistas in Africa are empowering rural women to make a difference and helping close the gender gap in agriculture.
Today, on the International Day of Rural Women, it is important to acknowledge the strides made involving diversity and inclusion in agriculture but also focus on moving forward, engaging in conversations, challenging the status quo, and continuing to support women in agriculture.
#IDRW2023 #RuralWomen #InternationalDayofRuralWomen
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