By ECCB
The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) recognises the important contribution women make to the region’s economies and encourages the empowerment of women agricultural entrepreneurs.
In the first episode of Season 17 of ECCB Connects which was released on Wednesday, the ECCB highlights the work of Helen’s Daughter, a non-profit organisation based in Saint Lucia, which provides support to women in agriculture.
Speaking on the programme, executive director of Helen’s Daughter, Keithlin Caroo makes a strong case for the support and empowerment of rural women in agriculture. Caroo believes that women represent the foundation of the food chain and the food security discourse as they are the first formal food contact of most human beings and helps to shape the palates of their families.
Additionally, Caroo points out that women account for the majority of persons engaged in backyard gardening and small scale agriculture. This she says has the ability to reduce malnutrition and food insecurity up to two to four times more than large scale agriculture, making women integral to the foundation of agriculture.
Caroo said that her organisation, Helen’s Daughter is expanding its advocacy and economic empowerment of rural women in agriculture further across the OECS. As a result, she has partnered with the University of the West Indies to introduce ‘Rural Women Academy,’ her organisation’s flagship 8-12 weeks training programme to women in Saint Christopher and Nevis and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines starting in October.
For more information on the empowerment of women in agriculture, view this week’s episode of ECCB Connects: Click to view