WE SUPPORT WOMEN TO CONNECT, EXCHANGE INCOME-GENERATING SKILLS, and LAUNCH COOPERATIVE BUSINESSES TOGETHER.
OVER 3 YEARS THEY BUILD THE SOLIDARITY, KNOWLEDGE and CONFIDENCE to BECOME FINANCIALLY INDEPENDENT and PAY IT FORWARD
How Women Together Builds Economic Independence
Phase One
Years 1 - 2
Women Together supports a community-based grassroots women's group to set up a small cooperative business, e.g. soap-making, tailoring, producing clean-burning cookstoves and environmentally friendly fuels.
1 Listening
Discussions with women's community groups to understand major challenges to their independence, economic freedom, and their natural environment
2 Learning Exchanges
Connecting women's groups to swap income-generating skills, create solidarity, and develop confidence
3 Strengthening and Sustaining
Supporting each group with business training to turn their skills into cooperative businesses
Phase TWO
Years 3-5
Women's groups build on their success to launch a larger cooperative business together and reach financial independence.
They "pay it forward" by adopting a new group of women to support through Phase One with start-up capital and training.
4 Taking it to the NEXT LEVEL
Identifying a larger business venture, creating a sustainable business plan, and providing technical training to support the new project
5 Building Strong
Launching the new business with the support and supervision to reach financial independence and long term sustainability
6 Spreading the goodness
Each successful business group pays forward a percentage of their income and supports a new women's group with start-up capital, skills-training and mentorship
The IMPACT of Women in Business
536
13
3,537
women engaged in learning exchanges since 2018
new cooperative farms created in 4 districts since 2018
clean cookstoves produced and sold by WT cooperatives to combat deforestation
"I used to think it was only men who can teach, but now I have learned that women can stand in front of other women and speak"
"I never thought I would be able to be an independent woman. Now I have so much more confidence"
"Now I hire someone to do the work I previously would have done myself"
"The cookstove makes a big difference. Before a bundle of firewood would last only 2 days. Now a bundle lasts 1 week"
THE NEXT LEVEL FOR WOMEN in BUSINESS
Mobility of goods and people across the country is key to the success of women's businesses in Malawi. We plan to create Malawi's first women-lead transport system including a fleet of vehicles and support for our women and girls to become drivers, mechanics and operations managers. Together they will create a vital transport network for their own products and an essential service for their communities.
DONATE NOW to Women in Business to support this project.
Women Together: This is a Learning Exchange
Filmmaker: Trisa Taro