Ethiopian women make up nearly half of the agriculture workforce and provide a significant amount of the farm labor to produce agricultural products consumed or sold by their families. However, they are not involved in the decision-making process on what crops to grow or when to sell them. They have limited opportunities to training, market information, market access and credit that restrict their ability to participate in agribusiness.
USAID, through its Agribusiness Market Development activity, launched the WALN in May 2014 to provide members with support and resources needed to better plan and manage their businesses as well as information on savings and loan services. Coming from Addis Ababa and the Amhara, Oromia, SNNP and Tigray regions, women leaders receive training in agribusiness leadership, business mentoring and networking.
The WALN involves female business leaders who own and operate enterprises of all sizes, across the agribusiness sector, including producing, processing, trading and exporting products.
USAID’s Agribusiness Market Development activity is the Feed the Future initiative’s flagship program in Ethiopia and represents one of USAID’s largest contributions to the Government of Ethiopia‘s Agricultural Growth Program. The $3.5 billion global hunger and food security initiative sustains the U.S. Government´s commitment as one of Ethiopia’s largest partners in developing the agriculture sector, which is a fundamental cornerstone of the Ethiopian economy.
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