This financial solution seeks to empower rural women and widows through an agricultural micro-credit/aid enhanced scheme. Women constitute over 50% of the world’s population and though they perform two-third of the worlds work yet they receive only one hundredth of the world’s income. They constitute 43% of the world’s agricultural labour yet they do not have access and control over land. For the over 80% of agricultural produce that comes from small farmers in Africa, most of whom are women to be properly harnessed, women will need to be given adequate attention as ‘‘when we empower women, we empower communities, nations and entire human family’’ UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon.

2. TARGET AUDIENCE
The General Public, Corporations, Governments (Both Developed and
Developing) Multilateral institutions, International/National Non-
Governmental Organizations (NGOS), Multinationals and Domestic
companies, philanthropists, clergies, traditional institutions etc

3. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Why Empower Women?
i. Reduction in inequality
ii. Agricultural Growth and Development
iii. Fostering Social and Economic Growth
iv. Path Towards Sustainable Development
v. Enhancing Food Security

4. STATISTICS ON THE NEED TO EMPOWER WOMEN
i. Adult literacy in women of ages 15 and above has remained at
49.81% as compared to men at 71.96% (airflows)
ii. Gross primary school enrolment of all females have average
80% as
against 87% for males
iii. They constitute 43% of the worlds agricultural labour force, which
rises to 70% in some countries
iv. 80% of agricultural products in Africa comes from small farmers,
who are mostly rural women
v. They lack access to and control over land

5. WHY THE DISCREPANCY?
i. Persisting Cultural Stereotype
ii. Abuse of religious & traditional Practices
iii. Patriarchal societal structures, where economics, political and
social power are dominated by men.

6. HOW TO ACHIEVE THE OBJECTIVES?
i. Government can help by providing extension services,
storage facilities and road networks into rural areas for transfer
of surplus to the market.
ii. Reforming land laws in order to strengthened women’s land
ownership rights.
iii. Formulation of policies that will promote the involvement of women
in socioeconomic activities, as well as protecting them from the
asymmetries that prevent rural women from being protected against
the effects of climate change.
iv. Training rural women to adopt modern agricultural techniques
that are tailored to local conditions with a view to achieving
economic development without degrading the environment.
v. Granting them access to financial services in forms of loans,
grants and concessional facilities.

7. WAYS OF FINANCING
i. Setting up agricultural credit schemes with single digit interest rates
by governments
ii. Donors could fund pilot programmes for capacity building initiative
or skill building for Rural Women
iii. Setting up of Social-Impact Bond (SIB) i.e. a mistake holder
partnership to leverage private capital to take up the financial risks of
expanding the project
iv. Encouraging private voluntary contributions through matching
funds
v. Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) can also assist by using a
result based financing solutions.

8. CONCLUSION
Since the global focus of debate about development financing has
broadened from the quantity of aid to its quality-including its power to
leverage other sources of finance (WBG). Nations and indeed other
development partners should come to terms with this reality, knowing
that the ever changing economic landscape will require an unprecedented
level of cooperation among governments, donors, and the private sector
for any sustainable development to be achieved.