Source: International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
Original press release available online.
ROME, October 15 – Gender and Rural Microfinance: Reaching and Empowering Women is an overview of gender issues for rural finance practitioners. It highlights the questions that need to be asked and addressed when trying to reach rural women and promote gender equality and women’s empowerment through microfinance and banking.
The guide focuses on rural microfinance, which is defined as “all financial services that are accessible to poor and low-income rural households and individuals.”
Author Linda Mayoux is a well-known expert on gender and economic development, including microfinance. She writes: “Innovations in financial services, particularly in microfinance, have enabled millions of women and men in rural areas who were formerly excluded from the financial sector to gain access to financial services on an ongoing basis.”
“Nevertheless, serious challenges remain in establishing microfinance and banking in rural areas. We need to find ways to deliver financial services through the wider sustainable development process so that these services can help develop markets and value chains and strengthen the local and national economy. This requires not only strategies targeting women, but also strategies to change the attitudes and behaviours of men.”
The guide provides practical suggestions for designing financial products, such as credit, savings, insurance and remittances.
“Last year, IFAD, FAO and the World Bank launched the Gender in Agriculture Sourcebook on the International Day of Rural Women,” says Maria Hartl, IFAD Technical Adviser, Gender and Social Equity. “I am happy to report that this milestone publication on gender issues in agriculture has received worldwide attention. We have been overwhelmed by the response of governments, practitioners and academia. The sourcebook is being translated into Spanish and Arabic at the moment and training modules are being produced for training in universities and agricultural colleges.”
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