Dr Nandini Azad, President of WWF-ICNW will share the platform with the Nobel Laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus of Grameen Bank of Bangladesh on 24th of August 2022 in the Caribbean. The event is intended to tout the South Asian model of grassroots financial inclusion and cooperatives in the CARICOM region and Guyana, informs a press release.
It is noteworthy that India (ICNW-WWF) will provide International input for low cost, cost effective replication of the “ICNW’s Gender and Equity model” in the CARICOM region, claimed an ICNW press release.
Dr Azad will talk about the issue of financing for women in agriculture and discuss gender equality solutions (women in agriculture) for food insecurity, barriers to women’s participation (with a focus on financing through labour cooperatives), the opportunities, suggestions/recommendations.
The WWF/ICNW Gender equity model, is considered as a best practice globally for several decades and highly appreciated by world leaders, the release asserted.
The International Network for Women in Cooperatives (H Q at WWF-ICNW, Chennai) will open its innings in this uncharted new territory. In the Caribbean, the majority of small agricultural producers are women with sizable Indian diasporas mostly from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu etc.
Dr. Azad’s recommendations include collection of gender disaggregated data in agriculture for accurate planning & implementation of national policies in both Government, Cooperatives, Non-Governmental, technical institutions etc.
The New International Network for Women in Cooperatives will provide inputs on social mobilization, group building in workers cooperatives based on indigenous and cultural strategies. This provides a glimmer of hope for advocacy on international awareness of and enforcement of gender related international conventions for restoring gender balance in cooperatives. Gender networking is led by successful new age women-only co-operatives that are trendsetters.
The CARICOM region has started several initiatives for female farmers including the UN Women and Inter – American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). It reflects the commitment to advance the economic empowerment of women in the Caribbean region, many of whom are MSMEs.