Through education and economic opportunity in agriculture, women in Niger can advance

According to the United Nations Human Development Index Niger has one of the fastest population growth rates and is also the second poorest nation in the world.

In Niger, the majority of women work in agriculture. For this reason, the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s $437 million compact with Niger emphasizes women’s and youth employment training that will equip them with the skills they need to yield more productive crops and enable them to market those crops more efficiently.

Women in Niger need opportunities to move up the value chain, to fuel their aspirations and provide for their families. That is what this MCC compact will do. For example, as part of this Niger compact, we are exploring opportunities to train women to be certified seed distributors, creating greater opportunities to diversify their incomes and increase production.

Another way for women to move up in society is to own their own land. In Niger, women and young men have limited ownership and control over land, especially in irrigated perimeters. Through a participatory and inclusive land inventory process, the MCC compact will work with local authorities and land commissions to identify land that can be made available for women and youth groups.

Original source: MCC
Published on 5 September 2018