SNV is implementing the ‘Enhancing Opportunities for Women’s Enterprises’ (EOWE) programme with the aim to boost the start-up and development of women’s businesses in rural areas in Kenya and Vietnam through a combination of enterprise development, social transformation and policy advocacy interventions. The programme aims to increase the income of 22,000 female farmers and entrepreneurs by increasing business and farming skills and access to inputs, productive assets, finance and markets in climate change context. On a societal level, the programme facilitates dialogue on social norms that influence unequal time spent by women on reproductive tasks, control over and use of income and resources, decision-making power and leadership within households and communities. The programme complements its enterprise development and social transformation interventions with policy influencing and advocacy activities to build the capacity of government and civil society actors to advocate for develop and implement gender-sensitive policies and plans in agriculture.

The EOWE programme is being implemented between 2016 and 2020 with funding from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Netherlands under the ‘Funding Leadership and Opportunities for Women’ Framework’ (FLOW). To ensure significant and lasting change SNV works hand-in-hand with national and local government and civil society actors, microfinance institutions, cooperatives and the private sector.

Key Outcomes

• 22,000 women farmers and entrepreneurs will have an increased income
• 20,000 women in Vietnam and 48 women cooperatives in Kenya will access business assets, inputs, and techniques related climate smart agriculture
• 23 business events will be held to expose women farmers and entrepreneurs to networks and related knowledge
• 8 agricultural policies and climate responsive agriculture programmes or plans will be gender sensitised
• 16 women business advisory and information centers will be created