In Ethiopia, we work on the Rural Women Cultivating Change project in partnership with Women Empowerment-Action (WE-Action) and The Institute for Sustainable Development (ISD).

WE-Action is a women’s rights organization (WRO) with over 65,000 women activated through networks of self help groups, and over 20 years of experience in gender-transformative women’s leadership.

The Institute for Sustainable Development (ISD) has, since 1996, worked to incorporate the best of traditional and modern agricultural knowledge to improve the livelihoods of local communities.

The Rural Women Cultivating Change (RWCC) project in Ethiopia has mobilized over 200 Self Help Groups and started a process of training on women’s rights advocacy and establishing dialogue with men in the community. Women’s leadership skills development helps to address low levels of women in leadership positions in regional, zonal, Woreda and community structures.

WE-Action is supporting local women to participate in decision-making processes by working with women leaders from government institutions. WEA and ISD are applying their institutional expertise to establish clearer understanding of the specific barriers and challenges around SGBV within the context of rural livelihoods, farming and women’s rights. Key to providing these services are activities geared towards male partners, male family members, and male leaders at the district level.

SeedChange and partners are creating opportunities to demonstrate how SGBV mitigation can be addressed through mapping of existing services. This includes the physical (safehouses, counseling, etc.), economic (emergency funds, loans) and political (policies, laws, by-laws, and reinforcement of these) assets to support mitigation responses.

In North Wollo, ISD and WEA are collaborating on activities that support women-led livestock management and food production practices with an agroecological approach. The heavy burden of reproductive and productive labour on women in farming households is a priority. As part of these activities, careful consideration of gendered norms and roles will form the basis for opening spaces for discussions with both male and female household members. The Seed Security Assessment and Action Planning is key to the RWCC in Ethiopia as was undertaken in January 2023. 

RWCC Program in Ethiopia

Project Location: Gubalafto and Habru Woredas of North Wollo Zone of Amhara Region.

Resources

The resources on this page provide insights into the program’s impacts in Ethiopia and across the global program.

Our partners

Learn about other countries in the RWCC program

Over the six year program, the Rural Women Cultivating Change project will support over 93,000 rural people in Ethiopia, Tanzania and Kenya.