Setting conditions and capacities for the development of innovative techniques and digital solutions for sustainable production models for women farmers in the dry corridor in northern Nicaragua.
Directly involved are 615 young women and their families (approx. 3.100 people), including 535 female, small-scale farmers (70% between 18 and 35 years old) and 80 young people (between 18 and 35 years old). Indirectly involved are 1.980 families from 16 communities.
Nicaragua is characterized by extreme climatic conditions, which are a crucial factor for agriculture. The impact in recent years has been severe: in 2018 and 2019 there were periods of prolonged drought and heavy rainfall, which led to significant crop losses. In 2020 two cyclones hit the Caribbean coast and other regions of Nicaragua. Heavy rains flooded croplands and pastures, threatening crops like coffee, sugarcane, peanuts, rice, corn and pulses, on which much of the country's food security and exports depend.The forms of production in general are characterized by low-tech, outdated methods that do not take environmental impact into account. The lack of knowledge about sustainable energy alternatives leads to irrational use of natural resources and faster degeneration of land, water and forest resources, as well as low levels of production. Women in particular are affected by multidimensional problems because of limited opportunities to develop their productive activities.
Fundación entre Mujeres (FEM) has been working for gender equality since 1995. A core area of FEM is the educational program, which covers a wide spectrum from literacy training to tutoring for schoolgirls to scholarships for university studies or vocational training. Another focus is strengthening women's rights to a life without violence.