An example from India

Women are normally responsible for taking care of the family in India. However, more and more they are being forced to work the fields singlehanded when the men leave their families in search of employment. Drought, deteriorating soils and the lack of irrigation and production inputs have reduced agricultural yields to a level that no longer guarantees survival.

Irrigation can substantially enhance the food security of smallholder families. However, despite the key role they play in the farming sector, women are generally not addressed in conventional irrigation programmes.

This is where the International Development Enterprise India steps in. Marketing systems tailored to the needs of women ensure that low-cost foot pumps and drip irrigation equipment are within their reach. Joint savings initiatives enable them to raise the money needed for these purchases through their own efforts. Not only can they feed their families but they also develop a sense of pride, going from strength to strength in a domain otherwise reserved for men. Together they have the courage to tackle other problems as well and to gradually advance their position in a male-dominated society.