Recent assessment of Gender Equity Grants (GEG) demonstrate the individual and business benefits of investing in women in agricultural industries.

A new assessment, funded as part of our growing partnership with Root Capital and their Women in Agriculture Initiative (WAI), shows the positive impact Gender Equity Grants can make for women and businesses in the rural developing world.

The GEGs were launched in 2016 as a component of the Women in Agriculture Initiative (WAI). Launched in 2012, the WAI seeks to promote greater economic opportunity for women by supporting small and growing businesses with access to credit and financial training and by promoting gender-inclusive practices.

These Gender Equity Grants are small disbursements to help agricultural businesses build greater inclusion of women. Rather than being prescribed investments, female employees, producers, managers, and other stakeholders are asked to identify where the money is needed most, be it a childcare center, an internal savings group, or something entirely different.

Begun in 2017, Value for Women conducted an assessment to better understand the impact of the GEGs on three Root Capital clients as well as the women themselves. The business-level outcomes included increased worker satisfaction, loyalty, attendance and productivity. Individual-level benefits included income gains, greater confidence, and cooperation among workers.

Click here to read more about these outcomes as well as lessons learned.