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Book layout_11_17_21  
(151 images)


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  • Guadalupe, Coffee Farmer in Matagalpa, Nicaragua <br /> <br /> Coffee is one of the world’s most highly traded commodities, and since it came to Nicaragua in the mid-1800s, it has played a significant role in the country’s economy and environment. Due to their strained economic conditions, women are more likely to be hired to work on the country’s 40,000 coffee farms, as they are willing to accept lower wages than men. In Nicaragua, women undertake 70 percent of the work in the industry but own just 23 percent of the land, facilities, and products.
    Guadalupe, Coffee Farmer in Matagalpa, Nicaragua Coffee is one of the...
  • Helena, Agricultural Co-op Farmer in Morogoro, Tanzania <br /> <br /> In Tanzania, women like Helena Maroda have joined co-ops to learn the skills of building a business from a kitchen garden to a profitable enterprise. Helena works in a Tanzanian cornfield that serves as a demonstration plot to teach others how to grow corn more successfully. Eight other women collectively work the roughly eight acres of land. Increasing women’s access to land, livestock, education, financial services, technology, and rural employment will boost their productivity and generate gains in terms of agricultural production, food security, and social welfare. Closing the gender gap in agricultural production alone could lift 100–150 million people out of hunger.
    Helena, Agricultural Co-op Farmer in Morogoro, Tanzania In Tanzania,...


  • Kadatu, Fruit Vendor in Port Loko, Sierra Leone <br /> <br /> Kadatu Kamara makes about $40 a month selling mangos in the rural village of Port Loko. Seventy percent of women in Sierra Leone live on less than one dollar a day. Women like Kadatu earn very little, because they depend on unstable seasonal trades.
    Kadatu, Fruit Vendor in Port Loko, Sierra Leone Kadatu Kamara makes...
  • Hawa, Shop Vendor in Monrovia, Liberia <br /> <br /> Hawa Edwards lives in Liberia, one of the poorest and least developed countries in the world. Hawa was able to access a small loan from a microfinance program to build her general business store on the outskirts of Monrovia. Microloans, mostly available from non-profit-organizations, were started because without collateral women have no other access to credit. No bank will give women a loan, especially in difficult to reach rural areas where access to actual cash is challenging. Their only other option is to borrow from friends or neighbors, but being off the books sets them up for high interest rates or victimized by loan sharks. Hawa used her loan to buy supplies for her dry good store. She carries toilet paper to cooking supplies and when she saw a need added the business center to sell SIM cards and phone charging. Hawa’s Business Center is popular and she makes about $16,820 Liberian Dollars (US$100) per month, which still keeps her at the poverty level. Despite this, she exuberates a sense of personal satisfaction at running her own business, “I’m always able to make my weekly loan payments and I’m proud to be part of the community and contributing to helping support my family.”
    Hawa, Shop Vendor in Monrovia, Liberia Hawa Edwards lives in Liberia,...
  • Gbongar, Plastic Goods Vendor in Monrovia, Liberia <br /> <br /> Gbongar started out in a common trade, selling small dry goods in the local market. Although women make up 80 percent of Liberia’s market vendors, many are challenged to expand their businesses, as banks in this country are reluctant to extend loans to women. To obtain a loan one must prove collateral of a house or land, which is nearly impossible for most women especially if not married. Without loans, women are forced to stick to petty trade like selling vegetables or used clothing. <br /> Gbongar, managed to access a loan through her own accord, from a micro-finance program that supports women. This allowed her to purchase plastic goods and elevate her business by selling them in the bigger Red Hill market in Monrovia. “I’m happy that my business has expanded and is doing well. I started out with nothing and at first it was difficult to get a loan. Now I make about $50,458 Liberian Dollars (US$300) per month that helps to support my family and even gives me a little money to save.”
    Gbongar, Plastic Goods Vendor in Monrovia, Liberia Gbongar started out...
  • Carolina, Hairdresser in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania <br /> <br /> Ever since she was little girl, Carolina has wanted to own a hair salon. She was able to realize her dream of opening Celina Hair Salon with help from a $150 microfinance loan. “When I first opened the salon I named it after my daughter. I got clients mostly through word of mouth. After nine years of regular customers, I was finally able get a $900 loan and grow my business.” These small loans can help women buy the materials they need to open businesses, become entrepreneurs, and elevate themselves from poverty to help support their families. There is interest to be paid back on top of the loan so while arguably not always successful, this initial opportunity can often help give women the small lift that they need to expand.
    Carolina, Hairdresser in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Ever since she was...
  • Mary, Goat-Herder in Juba, South Sudan <br /> <br /> Mary lives in Juba with her husband, five children and her mother Regina. Mary’s family is so used to being in transit, even putting walls up in their home seems futile. They have joined over two million displaced people fleeing the civil war from Sudan to establish their lives in the newly created country of South Sudan. Here too, they are riddled by ongoing tribal conflict, making it challenging to find work. With assistance from small loans the women look to support their families through home-based income-generating projects such as sewing and breeding animals. With no land, even agriculture is impossible. Mary raises goats to maturity that produces babies. “My husband works as a policeman so my extra income helps. I can sell each of the goats for about 7000 Sudanese Pounds (US $125). Then I can use the money to send our children to school.”
    Mary, Goat-Herder in Juba, South Sudan Mary lives in Juba with her...
  • Esther, Vendor in Monrovia, Liberia<br /> <br /> Esther proudly keeps her plastic goods shop immaculate, a constant challenge in this dusty open market. She worked hard to get here. Esther initially obtained a microloan of $25,300 Liberian Dollars (US$150) and opened a small shop that sold basic amenities. As her revenue grew her husband signed for her to get a bigger loan. This enabled her to invest in more profitable products such as plastic goods and she now has a successful business bringing in over $69,250 LRD (US$400) a month. “I even have my own bank account and I manage to save a little money each month.”
    Esther, Vendor in Monrovia, Liberia Esther proudly keeps her plastic...
  • “I HONESTLY LOOKED AT MY WIFE LIKE SHE WAS NOTHING MORE THAN AN INSECT.” <br /> <br /> <br /> Cooking class in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo <br /> <br /> Statistically, a woman is raped every minute in the DRC. These atrocious attacks are an ongoing “weapon of war” committed by rebels and even local police and militants during the ongoing conflict. The numeracy, literacy, and job training programs offered by non-governmental organizations, such as these through Women for Women International, helps train women with usable work skills. This offers them not only a sense of financial stability, but also a sense of empowerment through like-minded community. <br /> They also recognize the importance of teaching men gender equality in a country where nearly every woman has been sexually abused. Says one participant in the Men’s Engagement Education class, “Before I took this class I honestly looked at my wife like she was nothing more than an insect.” <br /> Here, women share the Belgian waffles that they just learned to make in cooking class. When asked how they can possibly effuse so much joy after enduring such atrocities, they reply, “It’s the work—it brings us a sense of purpose, community, belonging, and safety.”
    “I HONESTLY LOOKED AT MY WIFE LIKE SHE WAS NOTHING MORE THAN AN INSECT.”...
  • Khin Than Su, Tailor in Mandalay, Myanmar<br /> <br /> Khin Than Su, 27, runs a home based tailoring business. She is single and lives with her parents and six siblings. Khin Than Su spends long hours pumping a Burmese foot pedal sewing machine, stitching textiles and lungi (sarong) clothing using the natural light from her window. When finished, she and her sister will travel to the city of Yangon to sell them.<br /> <br /> She obtained her microloan to buy more material through BRAC, a non-profit that helps guide women through business practices. Each week she meets with a local staff member that helps review her accounting books as she learns about profit margins and saving.<br /> “When my niece helps, the two of us can sew about 400 garments a day. We go door to door selling them in the area for 7993 Myanmar Kyat (US$6) each. I fulfill factory orders but then I make only 1332 Myanmar Kyat (one dollar) a lungi. I also sell hair clips, slippers and small items to help supplement my income. On a good day I can bring in about 10656 Myanmar Kyat (US$8). I am saving to buy an electric sewing machine.”
    Khin Than Su, Tailor in Mandalay, Myanmar Khin Than Su, 27, runs a home...
  • Khin Than Su, tailor, Mandalay, Myanmar<br /> <br /> Khin Than Su, age twenty-seven, runs a home-based tailor- ing business. She is single and lives with her parents and six siblings. Khin Than Su spends long hours pumping a Burmese foot pedal sewing machine, stitching textiles and lungi (sarong) clothing in the light from her window. When finished, she and her sister will travel to the city of Yangon to sell them.<br /> <br /> She was able to buy material through a microloan from BRAC, a nonprofit that also provides business mentoring. Each week she meets with a local staff member who helps review her accounting books and learn about profit margins and saving.<br /> <br /> “When my niece helps, the two of us can sew about 400 garments a day,” says Khin. We go door to door selling them in the area for six dollars each. I fulfill factory orders, but then I make only one dollar a lungi. I also sell hair clips, slippers, and small items to help supplement my income. On a good day I can bring in about eight dollars. I am saving to buy an electric sewing machine.”
    Khin Than Su, tailor, Mandalay, Myanmar Khin Than Su, age twenty-seven,...
  • Myanmar/Burma, Bago. Tram Maw, makes fish paste. She sells chili pepper and fish paste and raises chickens for her family. Here she is fermenting the fish paste that takes about a year. Her husband runs a motorbike taxi and does repairs. He makes about $6 a day. Tram Maw makes more then her husband, about $700 a week and is very inspired to work so her family can live peacefully and comfortably. Her daughter is going to university and wants to become a teacher. She also supports her nieces and nephews to go to school. Model released, MR-Myanmar-125
    Myanmar/Burma, Bago. Tram Maw, makes fish paste. She sells chili pepper...
  • Pa Pa, Laundress in Yangon, Myanmar <br /> <br /> Pa Pa Phyo Swe works doing laundry for a local university in Yangon. Her family has no running water in their house so part of her daily chores is to haul water from the well. She then washes all the laundry by hand. Kyaw Kyaw, her husband, watches as his wife cleans. He likes her working and the extra income it brings in. He has a job as an electrician, and together they make about 266,400 Myanmar Kyat (US$200) a month. Pa Pa was able to procure a small loan. She wrings out the towels and firmly states, “I would like to buy a washing machine with it.”
    Pa Pa, Laundress in Yangon, Myanmar Pa Pa Phyo Swe works doing laundry...
  • Han Su Yin, Textile Weaver on Electric Loom in Mandalay, Myanmar<br /> <br /> Han Su Yin, works on an electric loom weaving textiles. “My aunt owns the looms and I supervise the twenty people who run the machines. We produce plain material that we sell to a broker to be made into dresses, although I’d like to increase our production to include decorative stitching. I also grow fruit and flowers that my brother helps to sell, we can make about 10,656 Myanmar Kyat (US$8) a day. I’m in the process of applying for a 666,010 Myanmar Kyat (US$500) loan so I can expand the flower business.”
    Han Su Yin, Textile Weaver on Electric Loom in Mandalay, Myanmar Han Su...
  • Myanmar/Burma, Mandalay. Han Su Yin, making material on electric loom. Her aunt is the owner of the looms but she supervises twenty people who run these machines that make textiles for dresses and material that is sold to a broker. She makes plain material but would like to expand to make decorative stitching. She also grows fruit and flowers that her brother helps to sell. She makes $8-$9 a day in the factory and a little more income for selling flowers. She’s in the process of applying for $500 loan from BRAC so she can do more with the flowers. She is single but has six family members living at home. She received her degree in geography. Everyone has to go to university for four years. The degree subjects are chosen by test scores so most of the degrees are not even what the women are interested in or will pursue in their career. At home in front of her college graduation photo, her parents in the background. Model released, MR-Myanmar-139.
    Myanmar/Burma, Mandalay. Han Su Yin, making material on electric loom....
  • STRENGTH IN SOLIDARITY<br /> <br /> A Collective of Women Micro-finance Borrowers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania<br /> <br /> Each of these women has accessed a microloan, a relatively small monetary amount to help start or expand her business, usually for buying initial supplies. Women in developing countries are often challenged by banks to obtain credit because they don’t have collateral. Instead of having to rely on banks or credit unions, these small loans can be issued by individuals or non-governmental organizations. BRAC is one of many of these organizations helping women access loans globally. <br /> Using the hub and spoke model, the microcredit officers connect weekly with each group of women to collect and disperse the cash, nominating one local leader to keep an account book of weekly installment payments. There is a small amount of interest, so while not every loan is successful none of the women in this particular community has ever defaulted. It’s the social pressure and accountability that makes the borrowing successful. These women genuinely want to see each other succeed, as they know their achievements reflect on the community as a whole. If someone has a problem making her weekly payment the other women step in and help her. Says the leader, “When we take a loan it’s a sense of pride to be able to pay it back. Our main strength is solidarity, a sense of strength and community.”<br /> As their businesses develop, it may become more challenging for women to meet weekly to make loan payments. Mobile money is transforming the lives of hundreds of millions of people across developing countries. Over 866 million users in 90 countries process $1.3 billion a day. Sub-Saharan Africa is responsible for nearly half of all the mobile money activity in the world. The service that comes built into the SIM card of mobile phones has changed how money is moved and is life-changing for those living in rural areas. According to the World Bank, women or minority groups often face barriers to
    STRENGTH IN SOLIDARITY A Collective of Women Micro-finance Borrowers in...
  • Thin Thin Khaing, Tailor, Bago, Myanmar<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Thin Thin Khaing started with a small loan to initially purchase some cloth and now runs a home-based sewing business. “I feel like I’m ready to grow. I use common foot pedaled sewing machines that are slow production. I’d like to use the next loan to upgrade to a faster electric sewing machine.” Her business is based on individual orders and she makes about 26640 (US$20) a day. Her husband works in government, making about 532815 MKK ($400) a month.<br /> <br /> “I have two daughters and I want them to be well educated, but even with a degree it’s hard to find a skilled job here. One is getting the only degree offered, in zoology. The other may be a teacher, but I am teaching them sewing as something to fall back on.” Thin Thin Khaing obtained her loan through BRAC, a non-profit that helps guide women through business practices. Each week she meets with a local staff member that helps review her accounting books as she learns about profit margins and saving.
    Thin Thin Khaing, Tailor, Bago, Myanmar Thin Thin Khaing started with...
  • Nyunt, Guitar Factory in Yangon, Myanmar <br /> <br /> Daw Nyunt Nyunt Yee runs a guitar-building shop in Yangon, thanks to a small loan she obtained for supplies. The air is thick and smells of chemicals as the heavy varnish, paint, and glue are heated over a fire in an area that is challenged for ventilation. The room is crowded with about sixteen workers, who can make about 200 guitars a week. “I’m glad that I was able to grow my business but now we need more space. I sell each guitar to a dealer for about 21,147 Myanmar Kyat ($15), so I can make about 563,923 Myanmar Kyat ($400) per week take-home pay. It’s hard work but it helps support my eight-year-old daughter, a student.”
    Nyunt, Guitar Factory in Yangon, Myanmar Daw Nyunt Nyunt Yee runs a...
  • Nilar, plastic rope entrepreneur, Taungoo, Myanmar Nilar makes plastic rope in the shed of her home. “I used to work in a factory and operated a machine that made twine,” she says. “I had an idea to design a modification that allowed the machine to make a thicker rope. My hus- band and cousin helped build it by welding the remodeled machine together. I can make about seventy bunches a day, each bunch with ten ropes. My husband helps by selling the rope and clay pots in the market. We were making about two to five dollars a day. This helped us access a five- hundred-dollar loan and we were able to open a small restaurant. We now make about $55 a day.”<br /> <br /> Nilar works about seven and a half hours daily. She had to hire some help, as she is also responsible for taking care of their five children, ages four to twenty-four. “Our goal is to educate our children,” Nilar says. “One of our daughters is now an engineer, and another is a nurse. We are very happy that they have good jobs.”
    Nilar, plastic rope entrepreneur, Taungoo, Myanmar Nilar makes plastic...
  • Ayem, Baker in Bago, Myanmar <br /> Ayem grew up in the ancient city of Bago with a dream to open a bakery. Ayem is proud of the successful business she has built, although her posture is indicative of how the hard work is taking a toll on her body. “I initially used to run a small home-based bakery business. I was able access a microloan for $150 two years ago and then another US$1,500 that helped me to grow the company. My whole family helps, including my husband who runs deliveries on his motorbike and truck. I can bring in about 932427 Myanmar Kyat (US$700) a month and with that I pay for supplies and my staff of twelve. Whatever profit we make we use to support our three children.”
    Ayem, Baker in Bago, Myanmar Ayem grew up in the ancient city of Bago...
  • Paty, restaurateur, Puebla, Mexico<br /> <br /> <br /> Maria Patricia (Paty) runs the roadside restaurant La Cabana del Viajero Consentido, which translated means the Beloved Traveler Shack, so named by her family priest. Paty belongs to a group of women who pool their money monthly and take turns getting the pot. “My husband was a trailer driver before he was held up, robbed, and kidnapped,” Paty says. “This is not uncommon here. After that traumatic incident we decided to open this business to help supplement him taking a safer government job. This was land we had already purchased and about thirteen years ago and we built the restaurant on it. With a small loan from the merry-go-round project I belong to, we bought the furniture and added the kitchen. I love to cook—pork roast is my specialty. I learned the technique from my mother when I was a young girl at home, and I discovered different recipes when I worked as a house cook. This is very much a family and female-run business; our four daughters work here as well as four other women. My husband and I both want what’s best for our daughters; to go to school and have better jobs.”
    Paty, restaurateur, Puebla, Mexico Maria Patricia (Paty) runs the...
  • Daw Myint Kyi, Basket Weaver in Yangon, Myanmar<br /> <br /> Daw Myint Kyi runs a small business, weaving bamboo baskets in the courtyard of her home. “My husband passed away so I have been the main income earner for my two sons. I have eleven brothers and sisters. Two of my sisters and I took over the bamboo business from our father. If we work hard we can make about twenty-five pieces in one day. We fulfill orders and are paid per basket, so we can make about 559,456 Myanmar Kyat (US$420) a week. We are about to receive a microloan and plan to buy more bamboo to help expand our business. “
    Daw Myint Kyi, Basket Weaver in Yangon, Myanmar Daw Myint Kyi runs a...
  • Daw Sein Sein Kyi, Buddha Statue Woodcarver in Mandalay, Myanmar<br /> <br /> “My husband started this woodcarving business over twenty years ago and it continues to be family run. He’s happy that I was eligible for a 666,019 Myanmar Kyat (US$500) loan through an organization helping women grow our businesses. This gives us more opportunity, as we were able to purchase more wood; cedar, teak and sandalwood. We fulfill private orders and supply our wooden Buddha statues to Mahamuni Pagoda, the biggest temple in Mandalay. We employ seven family members, and each carves five or six statues a day. After expenses that leaves us about 39960 MMK (US$30) a day to raise our four children.”
    Daw Sein Sein Kyi, Buddha Statue Woodcarver in Mandalay, Myanmar “My...
  • Ma Khin Thein, Incense Business in Yangon, Myanmar <br /> <br /> Ma Khin Thein supervises eight employees while running a small incense business in her home. “When my husband died of cancer I found myself a widow with five family members to support. I was able to secure a microloan for US$300 and buy materials to make the incense, such as sticks, powder and charcoal. Running the business from my home gave me low overhead costs. We supply to individuals and dealers to sell our products, making about 199,805 Myanmar Kyat (US$150) a month. I feel grateful that despite some hardship I’ve managed to be self-sufficient.”
    Ma Khin Thein, Incense Business in Yangon, Myanmar Ma Khin Thein...
  • Uganda, Adjumani. South Sudan refugees in refugee camps. Olua I camp. Women that received microfinance loans from the NGO Mercy Beyond Borders, making soap as a new income generating business. They can sell each bar of laundry soap for about 70 cents each. Most of these women are widows so the income will help them raise their children. Martha's husband has a second wife and he stayed with her in S. Sudan, leaving her to raise their children alone as a refugee.
    Uganda, Adjumani. South Sudan refugees in refugee camps. Olua I camp....
  • Ajwok, Clothes Vendor in Olua South Sudan Refugee Camp in Adjumani, Uganda<br /> <br /> Ajwok managed to escape the civil war in South Sudan and now lives in a refugee camp in Uganda.<br /> “My husband was killed, so I’m raising seven children alone. I have two of my own and the responsibility to care for my family’s children as well.”<br /> Many of the women that have survived the border crossing from war-torn South Sudan to the refugee camps in Uganda are widowed or their husbands have stayed in South Sudan and taken second wives. These women are now on their own to rebuild homes and raise their families. Determined to make a living they create small income generating projects.<br /> Ajwok hustles to make ends meet. Single women like Ajwok, with no collateral, are challenged to obtain loans. Those living in the camps struggle to survive by selling things like cheap clothing, nuts or homemade bread. Ajwok joined a co-op of five women that obtained a microloan. They now run a small business selling clothing in the local market. Collectively these five women make about $50 a month, sharing the money that they use for survival.
    Ajwok, Clothes Vendor in Olua South Sudan Refugee Camp in Adjumani,...
  • Abau, Home-Based Tailoring Business in Juba, South Sudan<br /> <br /> Abau powers a foot pedal sewing machine at home as her daughter looks on. The lives of women in war torn South Sudan are in flux. They have established their lives in a new country riddled by ongoing conflict so they look for ways to support their families with home-based income generating projects. Abau, 26, received the machine along with sewing lessons from an international non-profit organization. Her tailoring business now brings in about $80 per month that she uses to help support her husband and three children.
    Abau, Home-Based Tailoring Business in Juba, South Sudan Abau powers a...

  • Harvesting Rice in Pai, Thailand<br /> <br /> Women make up nearly fifty percent of the agricultural labor force in Southeast Asia. In many Asian countries the number of women farmers is growing as men leave for better paying jobs in the cities. In Thailand, the second largest exporter of rice, women provide half the labor of its production but reap little of the financial benefits.
    Harvesting Rice in Pai, Thailand Women make up nearly fifty percent of...
  • Sabah, Fisherwoman on Kerkennah Island, Tunisia<br /> <br /> Nearly everyone that lives on Kerkennah Island works in the fishing industry, a region particularly known for its hardworking fisherwomen. Each day Sabah sets out on her boat, a family-run business. They inherited the land in the ocean that is passed down through the generations and rightfully own whatever swims within their palm frond perimeters. The fisherwomen set up traps for small fish and crab, throwing large nets to reel in the bigger catch. <br /> “I learned to fish from my father when I was a young girl, and have raised my daughter Najwa to fish. Although Najwa works as an engineer she loves coming out on the boat to help the family. My brother-in-law worked as a government employee in an office, but he was like a fish out of water. Even he missed the boats and came back to work on them.” As a family they go out together everyday to check the traps and throw the nets. The women sing as they cook the crab, octopus and fish for lunch on a small propane stove they brought onto the boat. <br /> “This job is tops, it’s the best job in the world,” says Sabah.
    Sabah, Fisherwoman on Kerkennah Island, Tunisia Nearly everyone that...
  • Fatima, Fisherwoman on Kerkennah Island, Tunisia<br /> <br /> Fatima, 71, sitting in the outside courtyard of her home weaves fishing nets that are used for big catch. A mass of netting is spread across her lap. Her gnarled fingers nimbly interlace the strings she can barely see in the twilight but knows by touch. “I’m happy to still be working. My husband taught me how to make the nets as it used to be a man’s job. I’m one of the only women who weaves these. I can make one net in about six hours and earn about $4 a net.” She laughs. “That’s probably why I’m out here working and he’s inside watching television with the grandchildren.”
    Fatima, Fisherwoman on Kerkennah Island, Tunisia Fatima, 71, sitting in...
  • Laxmi, Collecting Animal Fodder in Gujarat, India<br /> <br /> Each day Laxmi still heads to the fields to collect fodder for the animals, balancing the heavy load on her head as she heads home. In India, 85% of rural women are engaged in agriculture, yet only about 13% own land.
    Laxmi, Collecting Animal Fodder in Gujarat, India Each day Laxmi still...
  • Mexico, Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende, Lagunilla. Pulque Ranch. Beatriz and her husband Francisco live in the community of Lagunilla. They have two large maguey fields where they produce pulque, a traditional beverage. Pulque is an ancient drink extracted from the maguey cactus. It is first harvested as a sweet honey-like juice called “aguamiel,’ that is then mixed with the older fermented juice kept in clay pot which makes the pulque. This is about 5% alcoholic and filled with nutrients. The plants take about ten years to mature, and the plants will produce juice for about three months. The heart of the cactus fills with liquid and is scraped three times a day for its juices. It is considered the beverage of the gods.
    Mexico, Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende, Lagunilla. Pulque Ranch....
  • Harvesting Rice in Flores, Indonesia <br /> <br /> Agriculture is the second largest source of employment in Indonesia with around 40 percent of family farmers being women. Female growers here contribute to all stages of production yet still struggle with access to land ownership and credit opportunities. Patriarchy is deeply embedded in this country and women are barred from inheriting land.
    Harvesting Rice in Flores, Indonesia Agriculture is the second largest...
  • Agricultural Farmers in Mafinda, Sierra Leone <br /> <br /> Women’s work is often undervalued especially as agricultural producers. They will grow the low value food crops used for family consumption, while men continue to control the return of high-value cash crops, despite the fact that women contribute large amounts of labor time to weeding, cultivation and the harvesting of these products that are sold.<br /> <br /> Many have joined co-ops to learn the skills of building their business from kitchen garden to a profitable occupation. This swampland is managed by a group of women in the rural area of Mafinda. Each woman owns her own small plot of land, but they have learned the power of working together. With a little help from a non-profit these women receive training, seeds, and fertilizers and together they grow corn, peppers, and tomatoes to sell in the local market.
    Agricultural Farmers in Mafinda, Sierra Leone Women’s work is often...
  • Lines, Farmer in Chinjala, Zambia<br /> <br /> Lines, 24, is a single mother of two and engages in farming to provide for her children’s basic needs. Out of necessity the women often come to work in the fields with their babies. Without land of her own, Lines must continuously look for day labor in other people’s fields. <br /> “It’s not easy waking up each day wondering if I’ll be able to find work or not.” <br /> Their fields have been supplemented with seeds from Good Nature Agro, a social enterprise supplying high-quality legume seed and commodities to help move farmers from poverty to middle class. Especially assisted are the women farmers who control less land than do men, and have limited access to seeds and credit to benefit new economic opportunities. Before new seed varieties are given to farmers to plant, Good Nature Agro firsts tests them out on 70-plus acres of its own farmland, called Foundation Farm. This testing ground has created part-time jobs for over 100 people in the community—people like Lines. Thanks to this program Lines earns a bit more than the average Zambian, taking in more than 1700 Zambian Kwacha (US$80) per month.
    Lines, Farmer in Chinjala, Zambia Lines, 24, is a single mother of two...
  • Ishimalanga, Fisher-Woman in Lake Tanganyika, Democratic Republic of the Congo <br /> <br /> Ishimalanga lost all of her property during the enduring years of conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. With 79 million inhabitants, 31 million live below the poverty line earning less than CF$2463 (US$1.25) a day, making it one of the top 11 poorest countries in the world. Ishimalanga suffered the trauma of rape and physical abuse, while most of her family members were killed. Women for Women, a U.S. based non-profit, has helped train thousands of women in this area through work skills programs that help them regain their dignity. The women achieve financial stability and a sense of community via microloans and a “merry-go-round program” in which women pool their money and take turns accessing the pot at the end of the month. Despite fishing being an unusual profession for women, Ishimalanga, shown here with her boat on Lake Tanganyika, bought a large fishing net with her proceeds. “I learned to fish here when I was little girl. Now I can pass this skill onto my children and they will always have a livelihood. I feel like this job has given me a sense of purpose and hope in my life.”
    Ishimalanga, Fisher-Woman in Lake Tanganyika, Democratic Republic of the...
  • Lexina & Victoria, Farmers in Kachamba Village, Zambia<br /> <br /> Lexina and Victoria navigate an oxcart through the fields that they work in together. The land is rough and difficult to maneuver but Victoria, despite having her baby strapped to her back, manages to steer the unruly oxen onto a straight path. She’s been farming her entire life, learning from her now 85-year-old mother. Victoria is quite successful in her own right and has managed to build three houses, from mud to brick, for her family. She had four children with a Malawi man but never married him<br /> "He was so lazy, I didn't want to marry him! I was raised a farmer and taught to work hard!" She has 25 hectares and grows soybeans, maize, groundnuts. Both women have financially benefitted with seeds from Good Nature Agro, supported by FINCA, a non-profit microfinance organization. “I’ll eventually sell the land so that my children can go to school and have better jobs than farmers.” <br /> Lexina (left) is married with nine children. She is also in the process of building a new brick house, an upgrade from her current mud and thatch home. She grows beans and soybeans. “I hope to open a savings account one day. Right now I’m saving my money to buy an ox cart (that will cost 7500 Zambian Kwacha or US$630) but my husband keeps taking the money to go out and drink!” She shakes her head and whispers even though he is nowhere to be seen. “I have to conceal the money I save from my husband, hidden in a purse that’s buried in a drawer in my bedroom.”
    Lexina & Victoria, Farmers in Kachamba Village, Zambia Lexina and...
  • Girls Collecting Animal Fodder in Iganga, Uganda<br /> <br /> For the majority of girls in Uganda, their schooling is halted before or soon after becoming a teenager. The cultural practice of parents relying more on their girls than boys for household labor may be a main cause for this disparity in education. Many girls stop their education prematurely due to economic struggles, family abuse or unwanted pregnancies. This severely affects their further opportunities for income generating work.
    Girls Collecting Animal Fodder in Iganga, Uganda For the majority of...
  • Working in the Fields in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal<br /> <br /> Nepal is an agricultural based country and the livelihood for most of its population. The role of women here is crucial given that eighty percent are employed in agriculture while still being responsible for maintaining the household. Yet, in this patriarchal society women own only five percent of the land. In most developing countries land is predominately owned by men due to hereditary rights, lack of education and training, and women having less access to credit than men.<br /> After a lengthy battle the Nepali government recently declared equal rights for sons and daughters to inherit land equally. This is a small positive step in securing power and independence for women in this country.
    Working in the Fields in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal Nepal is an...
  • Emma Toe, Chicken Farmer in Buchanan, Liberia <br /> <br /> Emma Toe benefits from a poultry project supplemented by BRAC, a non-profit that recognizes poultry rearing as a source of income for landless women to help supplement their income. Each woman has to build her own chicken coop.<br /> “We receive training and learn how to raise the birds ourselves, keeping them healthy with immunizations and feeding. Raising poultry helps feed my family and with the money I make from selling the eggs and chickens, I am able to send all five of my children to school.”
    Emma Toe, Chicken Farmer in Buchanan, Liberia Emma Toe benefits from a...
  • Abir, Olive Oil Farm in Kasserine, Tunisia<br /> <br /> <br /> Tunisia, with its chemical-free olive orchards, is the largest exporter of organic olive oil in the world. Because it’s bought in bulk and often diluted with Spanish and Italian varieties, the delicacy of this product has long been overlooked in foreign markets. Olive farms around the country are now striving to highlight and market their individual boutique oils. Many win well-deserved medals at competitions around the globe, where the palette appears as discerning as that of a wine taster. <br /> <br /> It’s harvest time. Women laborers have gathered en masse throughout the groves to pick olives gently by hand, all the while preserving their fragile integrity. Men have traditionally run Tunisia’s olive oil industry, including producing and selling, leaving the laborious job of gathering the olives to women. No longer.<br /> Behind the scenes and overseeing Cillium Olive Oil is Abir, a young female entrepreneur that is slated to succeed the role of her family run business. “My father built a community olive oil mill specifically for the farmers in this region. This way they can bring their olives here and watch as it’s processed into their own personal oil. I’ve learned processing and production from my parents. My design degree helps with branding and production as we grow into international marketing.”<br /> <br /> Marwa Kanzari, of award-winning Kanzari Olive Oil, finds that her masters degree in finance helps in running her family business. “My father bought this farm the year I was born and I’ve grown up in these groves. I think I have olive oil rather than blood running through my veins,” says the young woman with a smile as she strolls through her nine hundred hectacre farm in Zaghouan. Like so many Tunisians, Marwa is as warm as she is effervescent. She stops to hug a woman that is gently tipping olives from her skirt folds into one of the dozens of awaiting crates. “The workers here are my extended family.”
    Abir, Olive Oil Farm in Kasserine, Tunisia Tunisia, with its...
  • Clarisse, Farmer in Muhango, Rwanda<br /> <br /> Farmers such as Clarisse have discovered that farming the land in a co-op with other women, then selling their vegetables in the local market together; helps boost their productivity and income. It’s estimated that in rural areas women grow nearly half the world’s food. Women throughout the developing world are growing produce beyond just the subsistence kitchen gardens that feed their families. They benefit by programs teaching them good farming practices such as planting in rows, fertilizers, seasonal growing and what seeds to use. Improving women farmers’ access to appropriate resources, technologies, markets and property rights will help enable them to increase agricultural productivity and ultimately improve household nutrition.<br /> <br /> “I had my daughter when I was fifteen so I never had a chance to be educated. I’m happy that my girl is going to school and hopefully she won’t have to do hard work in the fields.”
    Clarisse, Farmer in Muhango, Rwanda Farmers such as Clarisse have...

  • Jackline, Gathering Firewood in Kitale, Kenya <br /> <br /> Jackline works as a farmer and runs a home tailoring business to supplement the income from her husband’s salary as a tractor driver. Along with raising their four children, gathering firewood and fetching water are part of her daily chores. In low-income countries these responsibilities are traditionally allocated to the women and girls, taking three to four hours a day, encroaching on their time for education or earning an income. The work is physically demanding, but in rural and war torn areas this isolating task also exposes them to the risk of sexual and physical abuse.
    Jackline, Gathering Firewood in Kitale, Kenya Jackline works as a...
  • Rohingya Refugee Women Collecting Water in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh<br /> <br /> Determined women wait in a long line at the water pump that turns on for only a few random minutes each day in Leda Rohingya Refugee Camp. The Rohingya, a Muslim ethnic group denied citizenship in Myanmar, have escaped life threatening persecution from government militants in their own country. There are estimated to be nearly a million refugees and migrants living in makeshift camps along the coast of Cox's Bazar. These lines are a common sight all through the developing world- if the community is even lucky enough to have a pump. The challenge of finding a source of relatively clean water from a pump, river or well is a daily time consuming chore left to the women and girls.
    Rohingya Refugee Women Collecting Water in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh...
  • Jai Fai, Restaurant Owner in Bangkok, Thailand<br /> <br /> Jay Fai is the name of a small street stall restaurant in Bangkok, so called after the nickname of its owner, Supinya Junsuta. Jay Fai, well into her 70’s, can be found cooking in the alley over the open flamed wok, wearing her signature goggles for protection from the spitting grease and leaping fire. “I was originally born here in Thailand to Chinese immigrant parents. They ran a noodle shop. For many years I worked as a seamstress and I wasn’t even a good cook- until my sister taught me,” she laughs. “I really developed my own cooking style and in the 1980’s even opened my own restaurant. Now I specialize in my signature seafood dishes, using only the freshest ingredients.” Jay Fai’s restaurant gained a following and has since become one of the most famous street stall restaurants in the city. In 2018 it won a Michelin star rating. Reservations can now be up to a three-month wait.
    Jai Fai, Restaurant Owner in Bangkok, Thailand Jay Fai is the name of a...
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