Fostering women's empowerment in the Mekong Delta's agricultural sector

Tra Vinh, Vietnam, 12-13 December 2024 – Under the CGIAR Initiative on Asian Mega-Deltas (AMD), the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Tra Vinh province, in collaboration with International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the International Potato Center (CIP), conducted a workshop on gender and climate change adaptation in the Mekong Delta.

Various representatives from MARD agencies, local governments, academic institutions, the private sector, and other relevant stakeholders gathered to share research, strategies and initiatives to form breakthrough solutions, promoting women’s participation in climate change adaptation in the delta region.

In her introductory presentation, Dr. Nozomi Kawarazuka, a scientist at CIP and gender focal point of the AMD initiative, emphasized the importance of gender mainstreaming in the agricultural sector. She highlighted the need for a gender lens to recognize and address the unique challenges and contributions of women in agriculture.

Dr. Kawarazuka pointed out that women are often invisible in the agricultural value chain, because representatives are dominated by men. To empower women, she suggested strategies like targeted training, leadership opportunities, recognition of their skills, and the establishment of women’s groups.

Through a panel discussion featuring speakers from a national agency, the academe, and a farmers’ cooperative, the opportunities and challenges of rural women in agriculture were discussed. The panelists shared that women play a crucial role in the agricultural sector, contributing to various stages of the value chain, from production to processing and marketing.

The speakers emphasized that collaborative efforts between government agencies, NGOs, and local organizations are critical to promote gender equality and empower women in agriculture. These efforts should focus on capacity building, policy reforms, and creating supportive environments for women farmers.

Two women-founded agricultural business models in the Mekong region, such as SOKFARM and Palmania, also presented their experiences in establishing climate-smart agriculture and socially inclusive businesses.

Through a group workshop, the participants were divided into several groups to design and propose agricultural development projects focusing on women both in agriculture and aquaculture. Dr. Nguyen Van Hung, scientist at IRRI, provided a presentation on how to develop a project proposal, highlighting the importance of the Theory of Change thinking.

The various groups presented their ideas of women-focused agricultural projects, specifically on increasing service quality of agricultural machineries, promoting rice straw-based circular economy and mushroom production and market linkage, and capacity building on communication and events organizing led by women under the 1 Million Hectare Program.

As the main highlight of the workshop, a special awarding ceremony was conducted in honor of individuals who made outstanding contributions to women empowerment in agriculture in the Mekong Delta and beyond. The following individuals received a special plaque of recognition from IRRI, CIP and AMD: Mr. Le Thanh Tung, former Deputy Director of the Department of Crop Production and Vice Chairman -General Secretary of the Vietnam Rice Sector Association; Mrs. Chau Ngoc Diu, Chief Executive Officer of Palmania; and Mrs. Thach Thi Chal Thi, founder of SOKFARM.

For day two of the workshop, a field visit and exchange of experiences on organic coconut nectar model was held in SOKFARM in Tra Vinh province. An exemplary local enterprise in the Mekong Delta region, SOKFARM not only upholds sustainability and nutrition in their business but also emphasizes on local economic development and socially inclusive employment, with 95% Khmer ethnic minority people and 70% women working for the company.