Women Development and Enterprise Groups
Our main work focuses on the development of Women Development and Enterprise Groups. ARWA helps to mobilize new groups and to sustain existing ones. ARWA also raises issues that face rural women before regional and national authorities. It celebrates rural women and their contributions not only through its program but also by highlighting the contribution of rural women through celebration of the International Day for Rural Women declared by the United Nations. Besides its own work, ARWA also partners with government and international organizations to help deliver projects that support the economic empowerment of rural women. Details about these are in the section on partnerships.
Program for Socio-Economic Empowerment of Rural Women: Prosperous Villages/rural prosperity
The program was initiated in March 2018 as a part of the Ministry of Agriculture’s Second Rural Investment Project supported by the World Bank. It was aimed at empowering rural women through the formation of self-help groups along the lines described in the SHG model section. At the close of the project in September 2019 there were 33 WDEGs in 14 rayons some of them with incipient businesses. ARWA took over this component as a representative organization of the WDEGs as its ongoing program for the socio-economic empowerment of rural women under the name Prosperous Villages. Under this program ARWA has not only sustained existing groups and helped them grow their businesses but has also expanded the program due to the strong demand expressed by rural women and local authorities. At present there are 44 groups in 22 rayons with 600 women as members. ARWA mobilizes groups, provides skill development trainings, develops mentors from among its members and helps groups to access finance and markets through on the site rural incubators run by local youth trained as Community Business Promoters. A short description of each WDEG and their businesses and community engagement is provided in this section.