On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2024, Alison emphasizes the urgent need to address disparities and support women in supply chains to realize their full potential. She sheds light on CottonConnect’s work with women, closely aligned with this year’s theme, "Invest in Women, Accelerate Progress."

By Alison Ward, CEO CottonConnect

In the cotton farming industry, women perform essential tasks—from sowing to harvesting—that add significant value to the crop. However, despite their invaluable contributions, they often face disparities in training, rewards, and decision-making.

Supporting female farmers to be more gainfully involved in value chains can increase yields and economic gain. By providing tailored training support for women around sustainable farming practices, businesses can help break the cycle of inequity and drive positive change.

At CottonConnect, our vision is to reimagine the future of supply chains by fostering equal recognition, involvement, and investment in the empowerment of both men and women. This year's theme, "Invest in Women, Accelerate Progress," resonates deeply with this mission.

Over the last 10 years, we have worked closely with hundreds of thousands of remarkable women farmers. In 2023 alone, over 240,000 women participated in our Women in Cotton programmes, where they were empowered through comprehensive training and education. Our pilot programmes, like Women Climate Change Ambassadors and Women Entrepreneurship Development, showcase the transformative impact of targeted training. From health and rights to running their own businesses, not only do they enhance farming and tackle climate change but also aid the transition from being 'affected' to becoming 'part of the solution' and even able to lead – the shift to sustainability.

This commitment extends beyond our external programmes to include the representation and involvement of women within our own organisation. We have established a Gender Advisory Panel, comprising eminent gender experts from research and academia, providing invaluable insights and guidance on our gender initiatives. Additionally, the Women in CottonConnect initiative celebrates the strong team of women employees within the organisation. The main objective of this initiative is to provide a voice to the women working with CottonConnect, recognize their commitments, listen to their challenges, and celebrate their major accomplishments.

In a recent webinar organized by the International Finance Corporation's (IFC) #Gender2Equal initiative, where I was one of the speakers, the crucial intersection between gender inclusivity, business success, and climate resilience was discussed. The discussion emphasized how investing in women not only promotes gender equality but also drives business success and contributes significantly to climate resilience. One of my key takeaways from the discussion was "Investing in women in the supply chain = Good for women, good for business, and good for climate."

Our extensive work with women has provided us with invaluable insights and lessons. We've learned that climate advocacy among women involves empowering them with accurate knowledge and targeted training. It is crucial to ensure that women are involved as leaders and innovators, forming transformative supply chain partnerships and leveraging on-the-ground expertise. The inclusion of women in supply chains is about harnessing the full potential of our workforce and driving positive change that benefits everyone – striving towards a more equitable and sustainable future, ensuring that 'nobody' is left behind.

You can read more about our work with women farmers and its impact in our latest Impact Report 2023

You can read our latest research report on Women In Cotton: Addressing the Impact of Climate Change through Climate-friendly Practices

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