Women
in the Southern Abidjan district of the United Methodist Church in Cote d’Ivoire
believes in conversation. A conversation which will help women to acknowledge
one another as equals, a conversation which recognized that we need each other’s
help and assistance to become better listeners to overcome the challenges. During
our workshop, they have remembered that conversation is the natural way humans
think together and they took conversation as an opportunity to meet together as
peers, not as roles.
In Africa, women are known to produce
up to 80% of the food. Yet, when it comes to agricultural inputs and services,
the share going to women is meagre: they receive only 7% of agricultural
extension services, less than 10% of the credit offered to small-scale farmers,
and own only 1% of the land.[1]
In this context, women are often found concentrated in subsistence agriculture
and unpaid farm work, and excluded from more lucrative agricultural
opportunities such as cash crop production.
During
our workshop, more than 200 women came to the program. It’s not true that rural
women are incapable of thinking, but it is lack of an opportunity for them to talk.
During our conversation, where each woman was involved in thinking and doing. They
have numbered a long list of their struggles, their needs and they priorities. In
all their discussions, they have concluded to empower women as major concern
which will bring change. Through empowerment program, they want to start a
micro-credit project to give small loans to women; they want to improve maternal health, they want to reinforce the gardens
project which they are doing (Women are producing vegetables for their families
and some part to sell to support children education. This project will improve the livelihood for women).
As a church, we should empower women farmers
improves food security for all. As women comprise on average
43% of the agricultural labour force in developing countries and produce the
bulk of the world’s food crops. While the vast majority of small scale
producers experience difficulties accessing resources, socio-cultural norms
particularly curtail women producer’s access to productive resources including
education, land, technologies, information, financial services, and markets. Their
presence in decision-making bodies, especially in leadership positions, also
remains weak, and their needs as farmers are seldom accounted for in policy and
resource allocation. As a result, women farmers do not produce to their full
capacity. If women farmers had access to the same opportunities and resources
as men farmers, their productivity would rise significantly and the food
security of millions of people would be improved. One challenge that remains is
to improve women’s participation in cooperatives. By ensuring women farmers to have
adequate access to financial resources is a key tenet of successful rural development
strategies.
As a church and as a missionary;
I think, our reflection on ministry with the poor should be a practical
framework where the beneficiaries are participating in the empowerment process where
everyone is involved to bring positive change. We believe that participation
means taking part, as an individual and as a community, freely and fully, in
decision-making at each step of the development process because development
should be understood as a process of ongoing change that moves all the people
involved both the helpers and the helped. Our regard to ministry with the poor,
the church should avoid doing things for people which they can do for
themselves. The strategy is to empower them to bring change themselves. Participatory
approach is one of the best way to build confidence to the people in need.
Another
project which they have listed is a women cooperative where women will work in
small groups according to their vocation. For instance, those who are sowing
will be in one group, those who are able to sell fish will be in another group.(
Cooperatives increase women's income
through job creation and financing of income generating projects and provide an
opportunity for women to be leaders.) Throughout
our African continent and through cooperatives, millions of women have been able
to change their lives - they have found through the cooperative enterprise a
route towards self- empowerment and development that works for them.
Despite the physical needs which
they have listed, women have also mentioned to develop their
spiritual life. The church should promote the cooperatives
in ministry with the poor. Cooperatives are contributing to a change for the both
as providers and recipients of services. Our goal as a church, is
to empower more women with practical skills that will make their projects both
successful and satisfying. The vision is working on empowering local communities where women will enhance
their economic position and address the challenges surrounding them.
Women’s lack of access to finance,
due to factors such as lack of collateral, complicated administrative
procedures, unsuitable loan sizes or interest rates, is one of the major
factors affecting – and limiting – the investment and productive capacity of
women workers as well as their ability to finance other basic and strategic needs.
In Cote d’Ivoire, for instance, only 3% of women have access to the formal
financial sector, as opposed to approximately 44% of men. Many communities are responding
to these constraints by setting up financial cooperatives composed of women, or
developing the services of existing providers to cater specifically to women’s
needs.
“Organizing is the key to
empowerment. Organizing is the process by which people who are individually
weak and vulnerable unite and create power together. When individuals who are
among the poorest, least educated and most disenfranchised members of society
come together they experience dramatic changes in their lives.” -- Renana Jhabvala
If you want to contribute to the project and
donate any gift, please send your donation through the advance # 3021990 for
Leadership Development Program in Cote d’Ivoire. Thank
Jesus
challenged the disciples to "Go and make disciples..." (Matthew
28:19). John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, challenged those who were going
to America to "Offer them Christ." .
Along with my family, we are offering Jesus Christ in Cote d’Ivoire.
Jean Claude Masuka Maleka, Advance # 3021390
[1]
ILO, Global Employment Trends for Women 2009, Geneva, 2009
