The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on 21 August said it has approved a $17.5 million grant to help improve women’s agricultural skills and boost food security in Tajikistan.
The Resilient Livelihoods and Empowerment of Rural Women Project aims to improve productivity of women-led farms, strengthen agriculture processing and storage facilities, and enhance support to vulnerable women in six districts—Bokhtar, Farkhor, Kulob, Pyanj, Shahritus, and Vose—in Khatlon, the country’s most populous province and biggest agricultural producer.
“ADB invests in women as agents of change,” said ADB Director General for Central and West Asia Yevgeniy Zhukov. “This project provides comprehensive support to vulnerable women by boosting their agricultural skills and role in agriculture value chains, increasing their employability, and ultimately improving food security.”
Tajikistan’s agriculture-based economy is highly dependent on women’s labor. However, they lack access to climate-resilient agricultural practices vital in enhancing productivity as the country is highly vulnerable to climate change impacts such as drought and heat stress. Women also often bear the brunt of coping with food insecurity, by skipping meals altogether or eating less nutritious or less food.
Under the project, female farmers will get various agricultural inputs, such as drying facilities, greenhouses, and water-saving irrigation technologies. They will also be trained in financial management and production technologies including nature-based solutions and integrated pest management. The focus will be on fruits, vegetables, and beekeeping, which show the highest income potential.
The project will also support small-scale post-harvest processing and storage hubs to improve the quality of products, leading to higher value in local and export markets. It will also help establish digital learning and agricultural trade platforms. The project will also address the needs of vulnerable women who have been survivors of domestic and other forms of violence. A shelter with gender-based violence support services such as counseling, referral system, livelihood training, and entrepreneurial opportunities will be established, under the guidance of the Committee on Women and Family Affairs, and the Khatlon Administration.
