Outcome HTI_D_2.1

Women led businesses have increased participation and leadership in the development of climate-resilient agriculture, water, renewable energy and service markets and benefit from equal access to resources and services

UN Women supported the development and/or expansion of women led businesses by strenghtening their capacities and skills to become active members of the economy. As part of a partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, 210 women have been trained in the use of improved seeds, climate resilient crop varieties introduction, soil types adapted to climate change exploration. The representative of trained women have been invited to be on disaster risk reduction committee by the civil protection directorate, involve other women in their meetings to motivate them for a better engagement and a wider participation space.

Women led businesses have increased participation and leadership in the development of climate-resilient agriculture, water, renewable energy and service markets and benefit from equal access to resources and services

During 2021, this outcome has been partially realized and significant progress are ongoing toward of its achievement. Indeed, 2021 resulted in progress at several levels, women, and mixed organisations, saving and credits associations, a process for setting up a pilot guarantee fund, advocacy for policy action. Specifically, 200 leaders of women and mixed cooperatives and community-based organisations and targeted communities, including local authorities of 6 towns, were sensitized, and trained on gender, climate change and climate-smart agriculture. Thanks to UN Women-Haiti’s intervention, local authorities, community-based organisations, and targeted communities were supported through a critical mass of women and women's organizations with better skills in the agricultural products processing, storage, marketing, climate change and climate-smart agriculture and a better understanding of gender-responsive climate-smart agriculture policies through training and sensitization. These new capacities are now contributing to a better performance in women entrepreneurs (cocoa, castor, maize, honey, and cassava producers) and CBO’s production capacity that will help them to earn a better income in the long term. In addition, to promote positive gender norms, 400 women and men were trained on the root’s causes, manifestations, and impact of gender inequality, and they were equipped with knowledge on how to promote gender equality and women’s advancement in the rural development and in agricultural. 20 mini videos are available in local languages to help scale up awareness building the positive transformation of gender norms, and to promote women advancement and leadership in climate-smart agriculture and agribusinesses. More than 150 Women leaders were equipped with competencies through training on self-care, self-esteem, women leadership, and gender equality. With the support of the Country Office, key responsible partners such as Femmes en Démocratie, ANATRAF, CESVI, the program supported more than 60 women and mixed associations of farmers with more than 1700 women farmers in adopting climate intelligent and environment-friendly agriculture technics. Cocoa-based Agroforestry was introduced for 206 creole gardens which combined cocoa planting with several food products. Supporters provided to produce improved groundnut, maize, cassava for example. Women Farmers significantly added more value to their products through processing and conservation, thanks to training, equipment and technical assistance provided by the project. At least 16 women’s organizations had their access to markets improved through enhanced branding, packaging, and marketing techniques. Women were able to make better use of the fair opportunities provided and supported by the program. 56 women leaders from 33 associations took part in the fair organized in cooperation with the Ministry of women’s affairs and two large associations were represented in the fair organized by the Central Bank of the Republic of Haiti in the North. The financial literacy of 40 women leaders of community-based organisations were strengthened. 20 savings and credit associations (mutuals) were created following a training on how to set up mutual. The mutual will continue to receive support to strengthen their operationalisation and enable them to be effective in facilitative access to financial services for rural women. A study on loan guarantee funds for rural women was completed. A partnership is developed with two women organisations to facilitate the set up and the operationalization of the guarantee funds leveraging the conclusion of the feasibility study. These two women organisations are : Femmes en Democratie and Chambre de Commerce des femmes entrepreneurs d’Haïti. With the support of the project, UN Women-Haiti and rural women leaders attended the rural women national forum organized by the Central Bank of Haiti, Banque de la Republique d’Ha ï ti. UNW-Haiti was involved in preparatory work for the forum and other actors advocated for funding mechanisms in favour of rural women, including the loan guarantee fund. The Central Bank indicated at the closing of the forum that “Following the financing difficulties highlighted by the various panels, a guarantee fund for women entrepreneurs will be created within the FDI (Funds for Industrial Development) where a mechanism targeting entrepreneurs, in general, is already in place. The Country Office hopes this fund would be able to start with a portfolio of 10 million US Dollars and are open to constructive partnerships for the achievement of this great objective.” UN Women-Haiti is pursuing discussing with the Central Bank toward a partnership to help operationalize this guarantee fund. In the vein of the Femmes en Démocratie (FED)’s collaboration, women’s access to several capacity building was enhanced and supported through its one shop center. this has improved its performance and has been able to provide health care and services to more than 500 people, of which 60% women, psychological and legal support to more than 300 women and girls’ victims of violence. The Center has been able to accompany dozens of women and women’s organization in the development of tools for the violence management, the sensitization and training sessions with women leaders’ groups and youth on sexually transmitted infections and gender-based violence, personal development, self-esteem, and citizenship. In addition to women, more than 1400 rural beneficiaries, among which 906 women had access to several services including health services, services package for survivors of gender-based violence, education for gender equality, citizenship, and personal development, to name a few. The center’s role is even more important after the earthquake as the needs of rural women increased while service provisions in the area slowly picked up. Finally, the targeted women and women’s organization were able to feed the market with better quality and standardized products, suitably identified by means of stickers

Women led businesses have increased participation and leadership in the development of climate-resilient agriculture, water, renewable energy and service markets and benefit from equal access to resources and services

UN Women supported the development and/or expansion of women led business by strenghtening their capacities and skills to become active members of the economy. In addition, UN Women developed a business model and promotes their access to the market (gender-responsive financial products and services). About a 100 women accessed to finance facilities, 25 groups supported on cash crops and other agriculture items transormation business like cocoa, coffee, Honey, Nuts, Fish production assets and equipment, and a rehabilitation of women house for refugee, dialogue and self realisation .