The objective of the PROFOB project is to support the emancipation of oasis women in the municipalities of Atar and Tawaz (i) socially by making sure they are taken into account in the territorial governance processes, and (ii) economically by helping them to better structure their cooperatives and microenterprises, and to better integrate into value chains.
The project is taking place in the municipalities of Atar and Tawaz, located in the Adrar administrative region in Mauritania. Situated in the north of the country, this region is the main date-producing region in Mauritania. In the region, the oases housing the palm groves are an identity reference for the local population more than in any other region of the country where date farming is practiced. However, the oasis agroecosystems are threatened due to increasingly pressing constraints.
1. To improve women’s ability to speak out on development issues in the intervention areas and to ensure their voices are heard by improving women’s representation in local consultative and decision-making bodies;
2. To improve women’s participation in the economic development of the two municipalities of intervention, support entrepreneurial initiatives, and facilitate their access to employment and economic opportunities.
women entrepreneurs and 60 cooperative leaders trained in leadership
5 video clips and 5 portraits produced to promote the role of women in local industries
individual enterprises financed and supported in starting their activities
female cooperatives financed and supported in developing their activities (a total of 600 members).
– Conducting studies (gender-oriented value chain diagnosis, the role of women in local governance);
– Sensitization activities (production of videos and portraits, coordination of multi-stakeholder dialogue frameworks, etc.);
– Capacity building (training, discussion circles, workshops, etc.);
– Technical and financial support for individual and collective entrepreneurial initiatives;
– Advisory/support to women with initiatives for access to microfinance.
