A synthesis report of the Near East Region - Women, agriculture and rural development

Annex III: Women's access to credit

Country

Women's Access to Credit

Cyprus

Of the total number of agricultural loans disbursed in the last decade, approximately 25%-28% have been granted to rural women.

Egypt

The establishment of the Principal Bank for Development and Agricultural Credit has encouraged women to make use of available credit by setting up special funds for women farmers. In 1993, the percentage of women who obtained credit was quite small. Compared to men, women constituted 12% of all short-term production loans and 16% of investment loans. Women in rural Egypt may also obtain credit from agricultural cooperative societies.

Iran

The Agricultural Bank extends credit to women carpet weavers and women members of rural cooperatives. In 1993, women received 15% of all loans disbursed by the Bank.

Iraq

Credit is made available only from the State Bank of Agriculture. Women's applications for credit are low compared to men. Although cooperatives do not offer cash loans, they do provide members with agricultural inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, veterinary services and access to machinery at no charge. However, female membership in these cooperatives is low (9.4% in the 1980s).

Jordan

Credit is made available at the Agricultural Credit Corporation. In 1993, 6% of total loans were disbursed to women. At the Agricultural Credit Organization, only 4.6% of its clients were women, and women constituted only 3.4% of the agricultural and agro-industrial loans disbursed by the Development and Employment Fund in 1993.

Lebanon

Due to the civil war, access to credit by men and women farmers has been extremely limited in Lebanon. Since the majority of cooperative members are men, women rarely benefitted from cooperative loans. Some NGOs have established short and medium-term loan programmes for rural women.

Mauritania

Women do not have access to loans from credit facilities. However, they can obtain loans from informal saving clubs (tontines).

Morocco

Although no gender-disaggregated data is available from the Caisse National de Credit Agricole (CNCA), the main lending institution for rural activities in Morocco, a pilot study showed that special arrangements for women can increase their application rate. In this pilot zone, women clients increased from 400 to 2,000. As a result, the CNCA is examining ways to put these special arrangements into general use throughout the country.

Oman

Women's access to credit services remains low compared to men's. Since the establishment of the Oman Bank for Agriculture and Fisheries in 1981, only IS loans to date have been granted to women.

Country

Women's Access to Credit

Pakistan

Only a small number of women receive loans from the Agricultural Development Bank of Pakistan. The First Women's Bank was established in 1989 by the Government in order to cater to women's needs by providing small loans on low collateral, and the majority of the bank's employees are women. Although the bank has 29 branches all over the country, only 5% of the total amount of loans have been disbursed to rural women. Efforts are currently underway to encourage rural women to apply for credit.

Sudan

The Agricultural Bank of the Sudan (ABS) finances women's cooperatives with the objective of extending credit to women farmers to produce sesame, millet and karkadi. ABS also provides credit for special projects in some regions the country. For example, the Bank's Deling Branch began providing loans to purchase machinery and production inputs in 1988/1989 for a Nuba Mountain Rural Development Project, and the majority of beneficiaries were women. In the El Nuhud Cooperative Credit project, ABS and the Agricultural Extension and Cooperative Department extended credit to women farmers in agricultural societies for sesame, groundnut and gum arabic production.

The Livestock Bank, established in 1993, extends credit for dairy, poultry and fishery production. Of the 989 and 1200 loans disbursed to cooperatives for dairy and poultry production, 45 and 71 were disbursed to women cooperatives, respectively.

Syria

There is no gender-disaggregated data regarding loans from agricultural banks. In general, however, only 30% of all rural families obtain loans from banks. Since women comprised only 7.2% of total membership in agricultural cooperatives in 1990, it is assumed that very few of these women benefitted from the credit and other services offered.

Turkey

While women's share of total deposits at the Agricultural Bank amounted to 26.3% of the total, women comprised only 2.8% of the total loans disbursed.

Yemen

Very few women have access to credit.

Country	Women's Access to Credit
Cyprus	Of the total number of agricultural loans disbursed in the last decade, approximately 25%-28% have been granted to rural women.
Egypt	The establishment of the Principal Bank for Development and Agricultural Credit has encouraged women to make use of available credit by setting up special funds for women farmers. In 1993, the percentage of women who obtained credit was quite small. Compared to men, women constituted 12% of all short-term production loans and 16% of investment loans. Women in rural Egypt may also obtain credit from agricultural cooperative societies.
Iran	The Agricultural Bank extends credit to women carpet weavers and women members of rural cooperatives. In 1993, women received 15% of all loans disbursed by the Bank.
Iraq	Credit is made available only from the State Bank of Agriculture. Women's applications for credit are low compared to men. Although cooperatives do not offer cash loans, they do provide members with agricultural inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, veterinary services and access to machinery at no charge. However, female membership in these cooperatives is low (9.4% in the 1980s).
Jordan	Credit is made available at the Agricultural Credit Corporation. In 1993, 6% of total loans were disbursed to women. At the Agricultural Credit Organization, only 4.6% of its clients were women, and women constituted only 3.4% of the agricultural and agro-industrial loans disbursed by the Development and Employment Fund in 1993.
Lebanon	Due to the civil war, access to credit by men and women farmers has been extremely limited in Lebanon. Since the majority of cooperative members are men, women rarely benefitted from cooperative loans. Some NGOs have established short and medium-term loan programmes for rural women.
Mauritania	Women do not have access to loans from credit facilities. However, they can obtain loans from informal saving clubs (tontines).
Morocco	Although no gender-disaggregated data is available from the Caisse National de Credit Agricole (CNCA), the main lending institution for rural activities in Morocco, a pilot study showed that special arrangements for women can increase their application rate. In this pilot zone, women clients increased from 400 to 2,000. As a result, the CNCA is examining ways to put these special arrangements into general use throughout the country.
Oman	Women's access to credit services remains low compared to men's. Since the establishment of the Oman Bank for Agriculture and Fisheries in 1981, only IS loans to date have been granted to women.

Country	Women's Access to Credit
Pakistan	Only a small number of women receive loans from the Agricultural Development Bank of Pakistan. The First Women's Bank was established in 1989 by the Government in order to cater to women's needs by providing small loans on low collateral, and the majority of the bank's employees are women. Although the bank has 29 branches all over the country, only 5% of the total amount of loans have been disbursed to rural women. Efforts are currently underway to encourage rural women to apply for credit.
Sudan	The Agricultural Bank of the Sudan (ABS) finances women's cooperatives with the objective of extending credit to women farmers to produce sesame, millet and karkadi. ABS also provides credit for special projects in some regions the country. For example, the Bank's Deling Branch began providing loans to purchase machinery and production inputs in 1988/1989 for a Nuba Mountain Rural Development Project, and the majority of beneficiaries were women. In the El Nuhud Cooperative Credit project, ABS and the Agricultural Extension and Cooperative Department extended credit to women farmers in agricultural societies for sesame, groundnut and gum arabic production. The Livestock Bank, established in 1993, extends credit for dairy, poultry and fishery production. Of the 989 and 1200 loans disbursed to cooperatives for dairy and poultry production, 45 and 71 were disbursed to women cooperatives, respectively.
Syria	There is no gender-disaggregated data regarding loans from agricultural banks. In general, however, only 30% of all rural families obtain loans from banks. Since women comprised only 7.2% of total membership in agricultural cooperatives in 1990, it is assumed that very few of these women benefitted from the credit and other services offered.
Turkey	While women's share of total deposits at the Agricultural Bank amounted to 26.3% of the total, women comprised only 2.8% of the total loans disbursed.
Yemen	Very few women have access to credit.