Colombia Huila Las Rosas Gender Equality Project

The cup is smooth and sweet with pear and red apple notes.

OVERVIEW

1. Financial Management

2. Women's Participation

• Raise awareness about healthy financial habits
• Creation and implementation of a Revolving Credit Fund

• Recognize the role of women in coffee production and improve their access to financial resources and decision making power

LAS ROSAS GENDER EQUALITY PROJECT

(Formerly ‘Las Marias Gender Project’) La Plata, Huila, Colombia September 2016 to August 2017 - Project update

In February of 2016, RGC teamed up with Solidaridad1 to implement the Las Rosas Gender Equality Project (formerly known as Las Marias Gender Project) which benefits 300 women coffee growers and their families, all of whom are members of the Association of Women Coffee Growers of West of Huila (Asociación de Mujeres Cafeteras del Occidente del Huila).

This initiative is guided by two main components: Financial Management and Women’s Participation (a component of Gender Equality), to improve their farming operations and the quality of life for their families.

Within the component of women’s participation, the Gender Action Learning for Sustainability methodology (aptly nicknamed GALS) has been used to monitor the current state of gender equality within the group and to identify aspects such as: roles and functions of family members in coffee cultivation, land tenure, financial management, and decision making.

The implementation of this methodology helps the community to, “develop new visions for relationships between women and men as equal partners, and implement changes in gender inequalities in resources and power.” (http://www.galsatscale.net/)