
Farmers in Rwanda use the mobile platform “Buy from Women” to connect to the agricultural supply chain via text messages. Photo: UN Women.
Empowerment through innovation
Amid fields of maize in rural Rwanda, women cluster in a circle checking their cell phones. At their fingertips lies information that will determine the success of their crops—and their livelihoods. They consider weather and market updates to make crucial decisions, like when to plant and how much fertilizer to use.
The women are tapping into a digital, mobile-enabled “Buy from Women” platform debuted with UN Women’s support for two cooperatives of nearly 700 farmers. It is part of a global flagship programme on climate-resilient agriculture. By linking women to broader markets and improving the quality of production, use of the platform has led to large advance contracts for crops, including with reputable firms such as the Rwanda Grains and Cereals Corporation. Women farmers, who mostly never had access to opportunities like these before, are finding a sustainable exit from poverty.