South Sudan’s female small-scale farmers are excluded from the opportunities of agriculture value chains that could increase incomes, reduce risk, and transform their livelihoods.

The Investing in Women in South Sudan (IIW-SS) is a gender equality and economic inclusion programme that responds to the continuing poverty, food insecurity, and climate vulnerability that these small-scale farmers in South Sudan face. It is funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and implemented in East Equatoria and Central Equatoria States.

This five-year, CAN$ 11.5 million programme seeks to enhance women’s economic empowerment in selected value chains (groundnut, sesame, sourghum, shea nut, and honey) in South Sudan to increase incomes, reduce climate risks, and transform livelihoods.

The programme invests in women-focused businesses and women’s entrepreneur associations to create opportunities in climate-smart, gender-sensitive value chains for rural women and youth from poor and food-insecure households.

Programme objectives:

• Reduce gender-specific barriers to women’s participation in agricultural value chains.
• Increase adoption of gender-sensitive climate-smart agricultural practices.
• Improve employment or livelihoods for women in agriculture and food systems.