The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has launched an initiative to empower women-led organizations in the Pacific region of Colombia.

The initiative aims to empower rural women in 33 municipalities in Cauca, Chocó, Nariño, and Valle de Cauca in Colombia. The project, “Peaceful Opportunities – Rural Women” (Oportunidades Pacíficas – Mujeres Rurales), is supported by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), as well as the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP), which has backed the project with a $5.1M investment. 

This initiative is meant to empower women affected by conflict and violence in these municipalities, as WFP representative Carlo Scaramella explained. The program will provide training, supplies, and technical support to expand participants’ capacities and improve their overall well-being.

This holistic approach to empowerment supports women to build secure livelihoods as agents of change, leadership, and transformation in their communities. It upholds their economic autonomy, human rights, and nutritional security while also promoting the peaceful participation of both men and women and the sustainable development of the country.

Applications were open from July 1st to 22nd. To qualify, organizations must have had a workforce that was at least 50% women, laboring in the production or commercialization of agricultural goods for direct consumption, such as short-cycle fruits, vegetables, or eggs.

Jongmin Park, director of the KOIKA in Colombia, expressed his hopes for “Peaceful Opportunities – Rural Women,” highlighting his role as a dynamic actor managing the project’s long-term sustainability in its development and results.

The government of Colombia is committed to placing these opportunities at the disposition of rural populations during the COVID-19 emergency. It is rural women in particular who are carrying the torch of rural development in the country.

Visit the UN World Food Programme’s website and learn how Colombia, and many other countries around the world, are addressing hunger and promoting food security during the COVID-19 crisis.