In sub-Saharan Africa, improving the living conditions of entire families depends directly on the support provided to women. This is because women do most of the labour in the fields, the chores around the home, and the care work necessary to ensure the family’s wellbeing. This is why the Cotton made in Africa initiative, together with its partners, is working to achieve equal rights for women and men in a number of different ways.
Cotton made in Africa has enshrined gender equality in its standards and also encourages female cotton farmers to participate in agricultural training by, for example, recruiting female trainers who offer the women guidance and information. In addition, several women are being trained to take up positions as lead farmers, a role comparable to that of a group leader, in order to improve the standing of women within the training groups. The employees of cotton companies also receive training in gender equality, and businesses are hiring permanent representatives for women. Where possible, cotton companies also conclude their own contracts with individual female farmers or women’s groups.
Women’s groups enable women to support each other and to lead other women by example. They have an elected governing body and work together, both on the cotton fields and in other areas of their lives. The women reinvest the income generated by their group, putting it towards a new warehouse, groceries, or their children’s schooling. In order to further support their efforts, Cotton made in Africa offers cotton companies the opportunity to fund specific projects through its Community Cooperation Programme. This programme has supported numerous projects spanning a range of activities such as establishing breeding operations for chicken and goats, setting up a sewing room, and delivering training on sewing machines. Read more about CmiA’s Community Cooperation Programme here.
In many cotton growing countries in sub-Saharan Africa, hard physical labour is still the norm for many children, rather than having free time or going to school.
To protect children Cotton made in Africa applies conventions 138 and 182 of the International Labour Organisation (ILO): Thereby, children are prohibited from working outside of the family; any form of exploitative child labour that harms children’s health and development is banned.
The elimination of child labour in the world’s poorest countries will require sustainable economic growth to support measures towards social progress and better education. Since schools in rural areas are few and far between, and since the necessary infrastructure and materials are often lacking, Cotton made in Africa is supporting school projects in the cotton farmers’ villages through the Community Cooperation Programme.
