Women play a crucial but underappreciated role in West African farming
Mariama Sonko and other members of the"Nous Sommes la Solution" movement take a census of the different varieties of rice grown in the Casamance village of Niaguis, Senegal, Wednesday, March 7, 2024. This quiet village in Senegal is the headquarters of a 115,000-strong rural women's rights movement in West Africa, We Are the Solution. Sonko, its president, is training female farmers from cultures where women are often excluded from ownership of the land they work so closely.
After moving to her husband’s town at age 19, Sonko and several other women convinced a landowner to rent to them a small plot of land in return for part of their harvest. They planted fruit trees and started a market garden. Five years later, when the trees were full of papayas and grapefruit, the owner kicked them off.“This made me fight so that women can have the space to thrive and manage their rights,” she said.
One trainee, Binta Diatta, said We Are the Solution bought irrigation equipment, seeds, and fencing — an investment of $4,000 — and helped the women of her town access land for a market garden, one of more than 50 financed by the organization. But adapting to a heating planet has proven to be a strength for women since they adopt climate innovations much faster than men, said Ena Derenoncourt, an investment specialist for women-led farming projects at agricultural research agency AICCRA.
“Seeds are wholly feminine and give value to women in their communities,” Sonko said. “That’s why we’re working on them, to give them more confidence and responsibility in agriculture.”
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
'Women farmers are invisible': A West African project helps them claim their rights — and landWomen play a crucial but underappreciated role in West African farming. One project in Senegal is inspiring them to overcome gender traditions that prevent them access to land. It's training women to sustainably feed their communities, adapt to climate change and boost rural development.
Read more »
African Giants Light Up the 2024 African Games in GhanaSports Equity™ Lab (SEL) and Swiss sportswear brand On partner to showcase six outstanding African athletes in a 10-meter-tall installation at the venue of the 2024 African Games.
Read more »
African women spur fight for gender equality, seeking economic and legal rightsThe New Black View
Read more »
Lorraine Marcel: Bringing Bitcoin to African WomenFrank Corva is a writer and analyst for digital assets at Finder.com. As someone who’s lived and traveled all over the globe, he loves the idea of the world being connected by Bitcoin (BTC) — a neutral, apolitical, secure and borderless network and digital currency.
Read more »
West African dance and hip-hop play a key role in the revamped Juilliard trackNPR's Michel Martin speaks with Alicia Graf Mack about how she's reshaping Juilliard's prestigious Dance Division to make it more relevant than ever.
Read more »