The sun has yet to rise over the northwestern county of Wau in South Sudan, but the women are already awake, preparing for the day ahead. Some stir pots over open flames to make breakfast for their families, while others gather their tools and set off for their farms. The quiet stillness of early morning soon turns into a steady hum of activity as kitchens, fields and markets come alive with the energy of women at work.

Their daily responsibilities are not just feeding their families or tending to the crops, women are the backbone of their community

Over the past three years, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with funding from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, has supported thousands of women farmers and small business owners in Wau with tools and skills in climate-smart agriculture, nutrition and financial inclusion.