This text is part of the special International Solidarity section
Equipping women who live in isolated regions so that they can develop their leadership is the mandate given to themselves by certain organizations here, which want these women to be able to make their voices heard better.
Oxfam’s Women’s Voice and Leadership project is rolling out in several countries; in Colombia, it focuses more particularly on the situation of rural areas by providing financial support for some fifteen local feminist organizations, including two national networks which work with 3,000 women living in the countryside.
While local organizations play a leading role in defending women’s rights, their resources are often limited.
“Our goal is for them to make demands. Whether it is for access to land, to change mentalities and redistribute care work or to fight against violence against women, it does not matter, we want them to do it more effectively, to reach more people, have a greater reach and can do so for a long time to come, ”explains Julie Perreault, Latin America program manager for Oxfam-Québec.
This project, which began in 2019 and is expected to last over five years, aims to ensure that the voices of rural people are heard and are part of the political objectives of the authorities at the local, regional and national levels.
“The lack of prospects and the lack of financial autonomy are characteristic of the inequalities and exclusion of Colombian women living in rural areas. They lack the means of their own to exercise leadership and stronger political participation, ”explains Indira López, project coordinator for Oxfam-Colombia.
Oxfam is betting that by helping these women to take part in political life, they will be able to improve their conditions.
“What women are demanding is inclusive rural development with the right to education, health and land. These are very simple things, but here it is not guaranteed ”, adds Mme López.
Recognize your value and gain confidence
Among other things, the team of this project in Colombia raises awareness about the unpaid care work of women so that they become aware of the importance of what they do on a daily basis.
“For many women, it was very important to be made aware of this recognition. For many of them, this is a really important awareness. That the work they do has a value, that it should be redistributed and that the State also has a major role in the provision of services ”, specifies Indira López.
Household chores are often taken on by women and girls around the world. By taking on these responsibilities alone, they have less time to hold a job or go to school.
The organizations working with Oxfam have therefore set up a toolbox including a “typical day diary”, with which women can measure their unpaid workload and, above all, redistribute it.
A role for the wives of village chiefs
In Togo, Carrefour International shares the same kind of relationship with a local organization.
Carrefour is working with La Colombe on a project related to the wives of village chiefs (cantonal chiefs). For a long time, the latter held an honorary power, but without any real say in the defense of the rights of women and girls. The Fiosron project, which means “wives of village chiefs”, began in January 2021 with workshops given to this group to increase their knowledge of women’s rights.
“After each meeting, I report back on what we have taught my husband. He has always appreciated what we are taught. He even called the coordinator [du projet] to ask him to also train the village chiefs. I intervened in three households in which the men were violent. I mediated by asking my husband to summon the men. This has been done, and physical violence has ceased in households, ”says Mme Rafietou, wife of a canton chief.
Since this initiative, 100% of the cantonal chiefs have decided to support their wives (polygamy is legal and common practice in Togo, especially among the elites) in this new role and to apply the People and Family Code that they have developed.
In 2017, Canada launched a feminist international assistance policy, based on gender equality and the empowerment of women. It is in part thanks to this policy that the Oxfam Women’s Voice and Leadership project and the initiatives of Carrefour International were able to be financed.