Résumé |
Abstract: "Rural women make up one quarter of the world’s population yet tend to have smaller and less profitable crops, receive five per cent of extension services, and access only ten per cent of credit. Notwithstanding the International Co-operative Alliance’s first principle on open membership and non-discrimination on the basis of gender, female participation remains a governance challenge at many co-operatives. This paper aims to understand female co-operative participation and voice and the barriers that they face. This case study of three fair trade coffee co-operatives in Tanzania finds that female participation is a challenge at both the membership and leadership levels. While some producers gain a voice, issues remain regarding who is involved and how decisions are made. Promisingly, capacity building through training and education emerges as a powerful tool for enhancing participation and promoting gender equality in some of the primary co-operatives studied. However, barriers such as land laws and cultural norms limit access to opportunities for women. There is therefore a role for diverse actors from the unions, fair trade, and government to play in both (i) delivering training and education that can enhance female participation and (ii) working to reduce structural barriers that limit access to these opportunities."
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