'SADC must set up agri-business fund for women' | Zambia Daily Mail

By ARTHUR MWANSA
MEMBERS of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) have been urged to provide specific funding for women in agriculture if they are to contribute effectively to the growth of the sector in the region.
Illovo Sugar Limited agricultural development group general manager Njabulo Zwane says SADC governments and stakeholders in the agribusiness sector must ensure that a specific and secured fund targeting women in agriculture is put in place.
In an interview at the just ended two-day 2012 International Agri-Business Congress at Lusaka?s Intercontinental Hotel, Ms Zwane told the Femail News that it is difficult for women in agriculture to make it without specific interventions.
The gender activist said there is also urgent need for governments to revisit the land policy reforms to allow women in agriculture to own land.
Ms Zwane said land policy reforms are vital means of securing the broader objectives of social, political and economic justice to achieve sustainable development.
She said this should include addressing pertinent issues that affect the land rights and tenure security of the poor women who directly depend on this resource for their livelihood.
?It is rare that governments in developing countries embark on land reforms that focus on securing land rights and tenure security of the majority of poor women in agriculture but on reforms that addresse other concerns,? Ms Zwane said.
She said collateral from lending institutions should also be made flexible to enable more women in the agribusiness to access affordable loans.
Ms Zwane said, ?Unlike our men folk, women in agriculture do not own property like houses which they can put as collateral. The majority of our women can not put up collateral, they can?t get the water right, and they can?t get the land right. There are just too many obstacles that hinder women from participating competitively in the agriculture sector.??
She said some rules and regulations at country level are also inhibiting factors to women?s progression as therey are few in decision making positions, adding that it is unfortunate that women just get the outcomes and are not part of the development processes.
Illovo Sugar is a global low cost producer of sugar and a downstream product-based in Durban, South Africa and is primarily responsible for the development of small-scale sugar out-grower schemes.

Source: http://www.daily-mail.co.zm/?p=14222

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