The University of Pavia (UNIPV), in collaboration with VIDES and several partners, is part of a project funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation in South Sudan. The initiative, located in the rural villages of Juba County—specifically Nesitu, Mori, Mogiri, and others—aims to enhance food security, socio-economic development, and gender equality through sustainable agriculture. The project centers on improving the agricultural productivity and resilience of women farmers, who are both the cornerstone of the local economy and among the most vulnerable groups.
Community engagement is at the core of this project, with a particular focus on the active involvement of women at every stage. The Mazzarello Women Association (MWA), a local cooperative established by VIDES in 2014, has played a crucial role in organizing women to collaboratively address economic and social challenges in their communities. In 2019, this effort evolved into the formation of the Mazzarello Women Multipurpose Cooperative Society, empowering 95 women through agricultural training and business support, reinforcing their role as change agents. Women’s participation was and is not only central but also ensured at every level of the project’s activities. The project also closely collaborated with local authorities, such as the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, to embed gender-responsive approaches into South Sudan’s agricultural policies. A key objective of the project is building institutional capacities by equipping local stakeholders with tools to monitor and assess gender empowerment. Engaging both local authorities and the broader community in tracking gender empowerment through a tailored tool ensured that women’s progress is not only measured but integrated into long-term development strategies. This deep engagement fosteres local ownership, making gender equality a shared goal within the community. By promoting women’s leadership in agriculture, providing gender-focused training, and forming strong institutional partnerships, this project is showing how community engagement can serve as a powerful driver of inclusive rural transformation. Empowering women to lead in agricultural development is proven to be a key factor in achieving both gender equality and sustainable socio-economic growth in these rural settings.
Prof. Maria Sassi
The University of Pavia (UNIPV), in collaboration with VIDES and several partners, is part of a project funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation in South Sudan. The initiative, located in the rural villages of Juba County—specifically Nesitu, Mori, Mogiri, and others—aims to enhance food security, socio-economic development, and gender equality through sustainable agriculture. The project centers on improving the agricultural productivity and resilience of women farmers, who are both the cornerstone of the local economy and among the most vulnerable groups.
Community engagement is at the core of this project, with a particular focus on the active involvement of women at every stage. The Mazzarello Women Association (MWA), a local cooperative established by VIDES in 2014, has played a crucial role in organizing women to collaboratively address economic and social challenges in their communities. In 2019, this effort evolved into the formation of the Mazzarello Women Multipurpose Cooperative Society, empowering 95 women through agricultural training and business support, reinforcing their role as change agents.
Women’s participation was and is not only central but also ensured at every level of the project’s activities. The project also closely collaborated with local authorities, such as the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, to embed gender-responsive approaches into South Sudan’s agricultural policies.
A key objective of the project is building institutional capacities by equipping local stakeholders with tools to monitor and assess gender empowerment. Engaging both local authorities and the broader community in tracking gender empowerment through a tailored tool ensured that women’s progress is not only measured but integrated into long-term development strategies. This deep engagement fosteres local ownership, making gender equality a shared goal within the community.
By promoting women’s leadership in agriculture, providing gender-focused training, and forming strong institutional partnerships, this project is showing how community engagement can serve as a powerful driver of inclusive rural transformation. Empowering women to lead in agricultural development is proven to be a key factor in achieving both gender equality and sustainable socio-economic growth in these rural settings.