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2021 Gender Awards: Five IFAD-supported projects transforming women’s roles in rural communities
March 2022
Every year, we recognize a project from each of our regions that empowers rural women and girls. Here, we present the winners of the 2021 Gender Awards.
Supporting small-scale farmers around the world
December 2021
2021 brought immense challenges to all corners of the world. Nevertheless, IFAD has been busy doing what we always do: supporting projects that improve the lives of rural small-scale farmers.
How nature based solutions are transforming lives
November 2021
Nature-based solutions is a concept that highlights the fact that people can proactively protect, manage or restore natural ecosystems, while significantly contributing to addressing six major challenges: climate change, food security, water security, human health, disaster risk, and social and economic development.
Rural Youth Innovation Award honours youth leaders fighting COVID-19
August 2021
IFAD believes in the tremendous innovative capacity of rural youth – and we take seriously our responsibility to support young people in their constant search for change and innovation. That’s why this year’s Rural Youth Innovation Award in Latin America and the Caribbean, a project financed by the China-IFAD SSTC Facility, focused on initiatives led by young people fighting the pandemic.
Creating smoke-free kitchens in Nepal through Indigenous community empowerment
August 2021
EcoHimal Nepal is a national non-government organization that works with rural mountain communities. They developed a project with NELHOS, another local organization funded by IFAD, in Rukuma and Chepuwa villages of Bhotkhola Rural municipality to develop ‘’smoke-free kitchens’’.
Upholding cultural traditions in Tonga
March 2021
An old Tongan proverb says that a successful village lives together, works together, and helps one another. This is especially true for handicrafts, an integral part of traditional Tongan culture.
Fai fatongia: One island’s path to food security, COVID mitigation and climate resilience
January 2021
In the Kingdom of Tonga, fai fatongia rules the day. Under this principle, which translates to “fulfilling one’s responsibility,” Tongans traditionally put the collective good first and their individual needs second.
Rural women in Latin America take control of food production – and their own development
October 2020
All across Latin America, rural women are taking charge of their communities’ food production – and their own economic and personal development.
Women as changemakers for nutrition in the hills of Lao PDR
August 2020
The rural uplands of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic are home to generations of proud family farmers who depend on small-scale agriculture, with many still using traditional farming techniques.
Youth leaders working towards transformative rural development
August 2020
From climate action groups to political institutions, youth are taking on leading roles and bringing new perspectives into the table – showing they are not only the future, but also the present.
Back to the Roots: Innovating with sustainable gastronomy
June 2020
What comes to mind when you hear the words “sustainable gastronomy”? Some of us focus just on the cuisine and think about delicious – and perhaps costly – dishes.
Photo contest shows how Latin American and Caribbean rural youth see their own lives
June 2020
It’s not often that we have the opportunity to see how rural people see themselves. International organizations like ours tell their stories armed with cameras, notebooks and laptops – and, of course, our own point of view, which is important to compare with theirs.
Ensuring environmental sustainability and building resilience to climate change
June 2020
Extreme weather events, such as droughts, storms and floods, are putting pressure on the ecosystems that farmers depend on, as are gradual processes such as rising sea levels and melting glaciers.
The making of a turning point: A rural Chinese women’s cooperative joins the COVID-19 fight
May 2020
In 2016, the IFAD-funded YARIP project had partnered with the Qujing Zhanyi District Women’s Federation to transform traditional embroidery art into a new source of income and employment. Qujing, located in the ethnically diverse Yunnan province, is home to the Yi, an ethnic group with a population of about 300,000.
Teach me how to fish and I will transform my life – and my community
April 2020
Along the coastline of Mozambique, fishing boats dot the clear blue waters. For the people on these boats, their daily excursions are their livelihood – in more ways than one.
Six ways investing in rural communities makes people healthier
April 2020
Malnutrition causes health problems and losses in economic productivity. Over the course of their lifetimes, malnourished individuals can earn 10 per cent less than those who are well-nourished.
The faces of empowerment
March 2020
Rural women are key agents in the effort to achieve the economic, environmental and social transformations required for sustainable development. Ensuring their empowerment is crucial not only to their own well-being, but that of their families and communities.
Don’t count your chickens before they hatch
October 2019
The second Friday in October is World Egg Day. A day to recognise the vital role of eggs in feeding people around the world.
Cultivating resilient communities in rural Guinea-Bissau
October 2019
Over a decade ago, in the region of Tombali, Arama Tudarame’s husband and local chief sought land around their village suitable for growing cashew trees. Then, as now, monoculture of the kidney-shaped nut dominated the country’s agricultural sector
Indigenous communities in Malaysia building capacity for resilience through IPAF
August 2019
The Jakun people is the largest group of the Orang Asli Indigenous Peoples of Malaysia. They have an amazing partnership between people and the forest - looking after it and using only what they need to live. But their traditional livelihoods are at risk.
The impact of a value chain approach in Nigeria
April 2019
The IFAD-funded Value Chain Development Programme in Nigeria assists cassava and rice smallholder farmers through a value chain approach to enhance productivity, promote agro-processing and increased access to markets. The programme aims to transform the agricultural sector of rural Nigeria by achieving food security, increasing incomes and creating new employment opportunities.
The value of indigenous tree species in Ethiopia
April 2019
In the Chencha region of southern Ethiopia, erosion continues to be a pressing concern for the Gamo people, one of the main indigenous tribes of Ethiopia. The Gamo people live in the highland area and primarily practice mixed agriculture and weaving.
Improving livelihoods of women in south west Ethiopia
January 2019
Gendo Gembela Tsire is a women’s group in Chencha district, Ethiopia who are demonstrating the process of making kocho (to make traditional flatbread) and bula (a flour blend prepared as a porridge) from the enset crop.
Hitting the right notes – Midori raises awareness of rural women through music
January 2019
World-renowned violinist and United Nations Messenger of Peace, Midori, travelled to Viet Nam to meet with and perform for villagers in a remote and poverty-stricken community to raise awareness of the challenges faced by rural women.
The sweet smell of success in Myanmar
November 2018
As part of the FARM project, local facilities called Knowledge Centres are being established at the community level in several villages in Myanmar.
Wetlands are disappearing three times faster than forests
October 2018
Wetlands cover around 4-6 per cent of the world’s surface – and are exactly as they sound - areas flooded with water. They contribute to climate regulation and support ecosystems and biodiversity.
The miracle of beekeeping
May 2018
Beekeeping can be an essential lifeline for smallholders and subsistence farmers in rural areas to generate income. Bees are well known for honey production, but they also provide other marketable products, such as pollen, propolis, royal jelly, venom, queens and their larvae.
Increasing the production of traditional crops in Brazil
February 2017
A better life will soon be a reality for Adriana Pantaleón dos Santos, a 19-year-old from the Kirirí indigenous community of Marcação, Brazil. Since she started to work at the cassava processing unit, she is now able to save extra money so that she can study Medicine at the Federal University of Bahia, in Salvador.
Waiting for the rain
May 2016
Kirehe, 27 April - In Rwanda, small farmers are being hit by a number of climate shocks including floods, droughts, intense rainfall and high winds.
Ten things to know about rural youth in West and Central Africa
April 2016
West and Central Africa is a youthful region. The African Union defines youth from 15-35 years old, forming over 35% of total population. By 2020, it is projected that 3 out of 4 people, will be on average 20 years old. (African Union).
Ten things to know about rural youth in Latin America and the Caribbean
April 2016
The population of Latin America and the Caribbean is more than 600 million and approximately 52% of the entire population is under 29 years old. The 15-29 years old constitute 25% of the population. (ECLAC, 2015)
Naan bread empowers ethnic minority women in China
March 2016
15 October, 2015 - IFAD has been working with women of the Uygur people in a mountainous region of China to enable them to earn an income from their daily bread production. Naan bread is a staple in the local diet and is traditionally baked by the female members of the household.
Gender equality in Near East, North Africa, Europe and Central Asia
February 2016
Work in agriculture is an important form of female employment, but with large variations across the region. In Georgia and Morocco, women in agriculture account for almost 60 per cent of the total female workforce. In Jordan, they amount to only 4 per cent.
Household mentoring in Uganda
February 2016
When it comes to bringing about change in the most disadvantaged households, development projects are often at a loss. Extreme poverty, illiteracy and lack of self-esteem isolate people and make them difficult to reach through the usual channels.
Spotlight on climate and environment: Near East and North Africa
January 2016
The Spotlight on Environment and Climate page looks at the specific climate vulnerabilities faced by smallholder farmers, focusing on a different region
Spotlight on climate and environment: Asia and Pacific
June 2015
Asia is already experiencing the impacts of climate change that are as diverse as the continent itself. From rising average temperatures that threaten the viability of crops, to sea level rise and salinity intrusion in coastal areas, to more intense droughts and floods.
Spotlight on climate and environment: Latin America and the Caribbean
June 2015
Although Latin America bears little historical responsibility for climate change, many of the current climate change studies indicate that the frequency of extreme weather events will increase in the future.
Ten things to know about rural youth
March 2015
The global population of young people aged 15 to 24 is more than 1.2 billion. Their numbers are declining in developed regions but increasing in the developing world. (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2013)
Ten things to know about gender equality and rural poverty
December 2014
Over 70% of the world’s poor people live in rural areas and most rural women and men rely on agriculture. But rural women generally have more limited access than men to inputs, services, rural organisations, productive infrastructure and technologies.
Ten things to know about gender equality and rural poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean
December 2014
In Latin America and the Caribbean, women in formal employment are less likely to work in the agricultural sector than in other developing regions. In 2010, females comprised just over 20 per cent of those who were economically active in agriculture.
Ten things to know about gender equality and rural poverty in East and Southern Africa
December 2014
In sub-Saharan Africa, women in employment are more likely to be employed in agriculture than in any other sector. The female share of those who are economically active in agriculture is 51 per cent for Eastern Africa and 42 per cent for Southern Africa.
10 things to know about gender and rural poverty
February 2014
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