Entrepreneurship continues to empower people to sustain their livelihoods. However, women
entrepreneurs still require investment to transform their livelihoods and to ensure strengthened
gender equality across the agricultural value chain. From farm to fork, women’s empowerment is
essential and the transformation of the agricultural sector as a gender-inclusive space is a critical
place to start.
The context within which women farmers operate is dynamic and complex with multiple
stakeholders and role-players impacting the business environment. Farmers alike face challenges
like lack of financial support, appropriate training and business skills, social barriers and poor or
absent infrastructure. Women farmers, however, face these same challenges and more, such as a
lack of networks and peer support, and cultural and social barriers in the form of gender norms.
Comprehensive support is critical to ensure that women farmers are equipped to run agricultural
enterprises that are resilient, adaptive to change and competitive. The Embassy of France in South
Africa will once again be partnering with the Entrepreneurship Development Academy (EDA) at the
Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) to develop a tailor-made programme to develop, support
and empower women farmers in South Africa.
Through this customised programme, the EDA and the Embassy of France in South Africa hope to
contribute to the development and strengthening of the South African farming community, the
agricultural sector and South African women’s emancipation and economic empowerment by aiding
women entrepreneurs to effectively combat the challenges and barriers they face.
Thirty-five women will be recruited to begin an intensive three-month programme titled, Women
Agripreneurs Programme, which will be divided into three thematic areas. The thematic areas will
cover self and leadership development as well as entrepreneurial and managerial competencies.
Coaching sessions will run concurrently with the training programme to support the women
entrepreneurs to apply the academic business management concepts, as well as enhance their
personal development journeys.
This intensive programme is scheduled to be delivered online in a blended format comprising of a
combination of asynchronous and synchronous lessons. The blended format aims to facilitate the
inclusion of participants in the rural outskirts of South Africa as well as women juggling multiple
roles.
As with many of the EDA’s programmes, a robust monitoring and evaluation process will be
undertaken to ensure mutual goals are met, to determine ongoing programme impact and to ensure
ongoing learning while implementing the programme.
The programme is scheduled to start in March 2022. The closing date for applications is the 28th of
February 2022. View the application criteria and complete the online application form here:
https://www.research.net/r/GMX2XQJ
