Joint Programme on Accelerating Progress towards the Economic Empowerment of Rural Women

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Joint Programme on Accelerating Progress towards the Economic Empowerment of Rural Women

Rural women are key agents for achieving the transformational economic, environmental and social changes required for sustainable development. Their empowerment is vital for the well-being of individuals, families and rural communities and the realisation of the 2030 Agenda.

Yet many rural women continue to face significant barriers that limit their ability to fully participate in and equally benefit from profitable economic activities. Restricted access to resources and services, such as land, finance, healthcare, education, market information, agricultural inputs and technology, are further compounded by broader systemic barriers. All of which are exacerbated during times conflict, food, economic and environmental crises.

The Joint Programme on Accelerating Progress towards Rural Women’s Economic Empowerment (JP RWEE) is a global initiative with an overarching goal to secure rural women’s livelihoods, rights and resilience in the context of sustainable development, Agenda 2030. The programme is currently in its second phase and is being implemented in Nepal, Niger, the Pacific Islands, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Tunisia.

Jointly implemented by FAO, IFAD, UN Women and WFP, the JP RWEE adopts a holistic approach to rural women's economic empowerment, building on each agency's comparative advantage and strengths in order to improve the status of women in rural areas.

The JP RWEE has four main outcomes:

  • Improved food security and nutrition;
  • Increased income, decent work and economic autonomy;
  • Enhanced participation and leadership in rural life and institutions;
  • More gender-responsive policy environment

Addressing the root causes of gender inequality by working to overcome patriarchal systems and discriminatory social norms is crucial to removing the barriers to gender equality and achieving women’s empowerment. The JP RWEE works towards addressing gender-specific constraints that rural women face in accessing resources and opportunities and implementing measures to enhance women’s agency and expand their capacities as farmers, entrepreneurs and leaders.

Phase One of the JP RWEE was implemented from 2014 to 2021 in Ethiopia, Guatemala, Liberia, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Niger and Rwanda and reached almost 80,000 rural women and 407,000 household members through a set of integrated efforts, with the generous support of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Norad) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). Phase II is being implemented with continued funding from Norad and Sida, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

 

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Joint Programme on: Accelerating Progress towards the Economic Empowerment of Rural Women

November 2021

This collection of success stories and good practices shows the impact of the Joint Programme on Accelerating Progress towards the Economic Empowerment of Rural Women (JP RWEE) among rural women in the seven participating countries: Ethiopia, Guatemala, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Nepal, Niger and Rwanda.

Joint Programme on Accelerating Progress towards the Economic Empowerment of Rural Women (JP RWEE): Final Evaluation (2014-2020)

May 2021

This report presents the findings of the Global End-term Evaluation of the Joint Programme on Accelerating Progress towards the Economic Empowerment of Rural Women (JP RWEE).

The faces of empowerment - Photo Essay about the beneficiaries of the Joint Programme on Rural Women Economic Empowerment

December 2019

This photo essay describes the different types of changes in the life of women that are participating in the JP RWEE.

The JP RWEE pathway to women’s empowerment

April 2017

Gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls is a pre-condition for the eradication of poverty and essential to achieve progress across all goals and targets set by the Sustainable Development Agenda. The JP RWEE facilitates transformation through rural women’s leadership, making gender equality and women’s empowerment a reality. Support to women's economic empowerment allows for increased influence, education and information for women to decide the use of their income, savings and loans, and the ability to make decisions about their life.