TechnoServe’s work with people fighting poverty around the world is full of striking stories and images. Each month, we share a few of our favorite photos from the everyday beauty of our clients’ journeys towards better incomes and better futures.
This month, we highlight how women’s empowerment is critical for solving poverty. The images from this month’s series represent the many ways that women around the world are overcoming barriers to build a better future for themselves and their communities.
Learn more about their stories below–and don’t forget to vote for your favorite photo!
Photo 1
Florence Muthoni, a small shopkeeper in Kenya, weathered the COVID-19 crisis with constant business guidance from TechnoServe. Nearly 90% of the microretailers TechnoServe worked with last year were women. The success of their small businesses strengthens their families, communities, and a critical part of local economies.
RELATED BLOG POST: 4 Key Skills Every Small Shop Owner Needs
Photo 2
Coffee farmers in Honduras share a light moment during a TechnoServe training. In many countries, women do much of the labor in farming coffee, but receive little of the profits. TechnoServe’s work empowering women in male-dominated value chains like coffee is helping women farmers in Honduras and beyond achieve greater incomes and independence.
RELATED BLOG POST: Lasting Impact Spotlight: María Castillo
Photo 3
Women in TechnoServe’s Sustainable Guar Initiative welcome Ilham Kadri, CEO of Solvay, a key program donor. Women are disproportionately affected by climate change. TechnoServe helps farmers–many of them women–in semi-arid areas of India to earn reliable incomes from guar, a drought-tolerant crop.
RELATED BLOG POST: 4 Reasons Women and Children Experience Food Insecurity Differently
When women gain economic empowerment, the effects spread across families and communities. Research indicates that women invest more of their income on family needs such as food, medical care, and schooling, improving opportunities for the next generation. Women in leadership positions such as entrepreneurs, farmer trainers, or cooperative leaders, also help break down harmful gender-based norms and stereotypes in their communities, while serving as important role models for girls and other women.
Your participation contributes to the ongoing global conversations about women’s empowerment. While a picture can be worth a thousand words, you can also read more here about TechnoServe’s work improving opportunities for women around the world.
Will you make a difference in the lives of hardworking people around the world?
