CIFCAD is committed to improving women’s financial literacy as part of addressing GBV issues. Our program encourages workers in the tea sector to increase their open communication among spouses regarding finances. Tea farmers are advised to include their spouses in decision-making on savings, investments, and spending.
CIFCAD champions the elimination of gender differences in accessing resources. Ensuring equal access to natural resources such as land is one step that ensures economic empowerment for women. We facilitate women to acquire labor-saving technologies to empower them to overcome constraints in production.
We sensitize tea farmers to increase their savings in financial institutions to increase safety. Farmers are encouraged to increase the use of formal savings methods such as registered savings and credit organizations (Saccos) and Formation of VSLAs (Voluntary Savings and Loaning Associations). Our organization conducts seminars to educate women in the tea sector on financial literacy and how to save for investment rather than spend everything.
CIFCAD also train women to decrease risk borrowing behavior from informal lenders and instead practice responsible borrowing. Informal lenders have high interest on their loans which is detrimental to achieving financial success.
We have also partnered with Women Win and Ethical Tea Partnership to build the economic resilience of workers through training factory workers on participation in decision making, leadership and roles of gender committees. Our approach to economic empowerment also includes helping women identify alternative opportunities to earn income. We offer entrepreneurial training on various ventures that women can engage in to supplement their income from farming.
The economic empowerment programs apply the solutions listed below.
