In developing countries, rural women play a vital role in agriculture, daily reproductive tasks and income generating activities etc. However, it is the reality that less value is given to their contributions, and rural women are less likely to realize their capacity to make a life better for themselves, families and communities. In these conditions, rural women remain inactive with less chance to development of their abilities. In order to improve the situation, practical means for empowering rural women is widely required.
Under these circumstances, the group training course on “Empowerment of Rural Women” is designed to provide innovative knowledge and practical skills on empowerment of rural women reflecting good practices of Japan. In particular, “Life Improvement Approach” (LIA), which has fostered rural women to take autonomous group action utilizing locally existing resources for better life, is highlighted as a major topic. Besides, the course covers rural women’s economic, social and environmental practices, such as entrepreneurship and environmentally friendly activities developed from the LIA and gender equality society which is the basis of the prosperity of Japan.
The course contains unique programs including techniques about gender equality process in rural development in Japan. It will reveal how Japanese women and men nowadays have overcome gender issues by taking advantage of Life Improvement Extension Work which handle these issues from fulfilling human basic needs to encouraging prosperous rural women’s entrepreneurship and “Family Management Agreement” .
For participants, all lessons from each program will bring innovative and fresh ideas to challenge each participant’s own work.
Each participant will formulates an Life Improvement Action Plan as output of the course, offering participants to apply their newly acquired insights from Japan and to integrate them into concretes situation on a topic of participant’s choice that is relevant to their professional interests and preferences.
Rural Women’s Group Activities for Life Improvement strengthen their capacities and empower them to bring about community revitalization.
Concept and Expected Module Outputs
This program consists of the following Concept and Expected Module Output
Two and a half months
Trainers of field-level extension workers
Policy makers of central/local governments who are working for rural women
Representatives of NGO