PAEF

Economic Empowerment of Rural Women in Mozambique

Project Summary

The Economic Empowerment of Rural Women in Mozambique project (PAEF), led by Socodevi, aims to improve the living conditions of more than 15,000 people—primarily women and their families—living in rural areas in the provinces of Maputo and Gaza. The project uses a multidimensional approach that connects economic, social, and health issues. It addresses barriers to climate-adapted income-generating activities, women empowerment to control over economic resources and their vulnerability to risks linked to sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Objectives

  • Strengthen women’s economic autonomy, particularly young women
  • Improve access and control over economic and productive resources for women who are members of agricultural associations affiliated with UNAC
  • Increase the capacity of UNAC and its associations to offer competitive products and services that meet women’s needs and are adapted to climate challenges
  • Improve stakeholders’ practices in strengthening agricultural associations and women’s economic empowerment, particularly young women

Results and impact

  • Emergence of a dynamic co-operative movement with the creation of two new multiregional co-operatives and the development of the Mozambican Association for the Promotion of Modern Cooperativism (AMPCM)
  • Hundreds of families now benefit from fair prices for their products—nutritious sweet potatoes, vegetables, and beans—contributing to food security
  • Socodevi’s technical support helps producers diversify crops to improve their household consumption
  • Two women were elected presidents of co-operatives, as a result of Socodevi’s targeted support to encourage women’s participation in decision-making bodies
  • 37% more women now control the allocation of their own and their household’s economic resources

Testimonials

“We thank Socodevi-Mozambique, which greatly supported us in creating our co-operative. We have always worked as an association, and now we will be stronger because we are together in the cooperative. We believe that as a cooperative, we will have easier access to the market and better negotiation power for the prices of our agricultural products.”

  • Argentine Jossias
    Founding member of the Gaza Agricultural Development Co-operative (COOPDAZA)

Partners

  • Union nationale des paysans (UNAC)
  • Ministère de l’Agriculture et du Développement rural (MADER)
  • Ministère de l’Aménagement du territoire et de l’Environnement (MTA)
  • Ministère de l’Égalité des genres, de la Jeunesse et de l’Action sociale (MGCAS)
  • Ministère de l’Industrie et du Commerce (MIC)
  • Association mozambicaine pour la promotion du coopérativisme moderne (AMPCM)

Media gallery

Projet PAEF de Socodevi au Mozambique