By some estimates over 70 percent of fieldwork and coffee harvesting is done by women. But when it comes to ownership of land or the harvested, marketable coffee, those numbers drop to below 20 percent. Looking at these numbers it would not be an exaggeration to say that women make the coffee trade possible, and it would also be hard not to conclude that deep rooted structures of patriarchy and male-dominance are essentially stealing from women.
The women of COCAGI Cooperative, southwestern Rwanda.
Those numbers may be a bit different in Rwanda, where many women were widowed by the genocide. Because of that experience, and in part due to the impressive egalitarian nature of Paul Kagame’s national government (highest percentage of women elected officials in the world at nearly 50 percent), women play a relatively more prominent role in Rwanda’s coffee cooperatives and farming communities.
That’s the backdrop to an exciting two-day tour of three cooperatives spread throughout Rwanda who’ve created women’s associations inside the larger cooperative—essentially a cooperative within a cooperative. I had the lucky chance to tag along with Christine Condo, TransfairUSA’s Global Producer Service project manager in Rwanda, and her colleague Ben Schmerler from the Oakland, California office. Through the two days we met with three groups and heard their stories, visions, and questions.
The view from Abakundekawa, northern Rwanda.
And in-between I got to contribute to Christine and Ben’s brainstorming around the development of an autonomous Rwanda-led NGO focused on further developing these and other women’s associations inside the country’s network of cooperatives. The idea is taking shape, with development of the structure, funding, and operations over the next year, all to be launched by the first day of 2011. The organization’s work will be tailored to the specific needs and visions of each woman’s association, but the central goals of income diversification, education, health, and microfinance will undoubtedly thread throughout the diverse project portfolio. I’m honored to be a part of the process, and looking forward to bringing Thanksgiving Coffee Company’s history, experience, network, and support to this project. With Christine’s leadership I’m absolutely sure that we’re in store for some impressive results. Ben and I joke (more than half seriously) about visiting Christine at the presidential residence once she gets elected…
Xaverine Nyerabare, Abakundekawa Cooperative.
Until then, and until I have a chance to share more of this exciting development with you here’s a quote from Xaverine Nyerabare that pretty much sums it up.
“You should be our ambassador. Women from here have the dream of expanding our farms. We live far from our washing station, it’s a long walk from our farms. If we had financing we could build one closer to our homes, increase our profits and improve our quality.”
Here’s to the women of Rwanda, and the hard work they do every day to build better tomorrows.