Evidence from the global research and policy network WIEGO (Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing) illustrates why it is important to invest in women’s organizations and to help them build capacity. Under a grant from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the WIEGO network implemented the “Fair Trade for Women Producers” project through partner organizations in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The project resulted in increasing access to financial services, training, and markets and the majority of participating collective enterprises saw significant increases in financial access and income for their membership base. The project also increased membership and economic networks. The Indian women’s handicraft enterprise Sadhna, for example, was able to grow from a group of 15 women to nearly 700 organized into 49 sub-groups. Additionally, by promoting stronger leadership roles within mixed male-female enterprises and cooperatives, the mixed 7,000-member Gumutindo Coffee cooperative in Uganda changed its policies to require 50% of board members to be women. The program achieved greater solidarity, formalization, and capacity. The Baraka Women’s Group in Kenya, through registration with the Ministry of Gender, was able to access agricultural extension services for the first time, resulting in increased production and profit.
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