Rimisp – Latin American Centre for Rural Development presented the results and conclusions of the Ex-Post Evaluation of Rural Women’s Programme, class of 2022-2024, in the office of the National Institute for Agricultural Development (INDAP).

The study presented by Natalia Slachevsky, principal researcher at Rimisp, assessed the impact of the programme through criteria such as relevance, gender and intersectionality, effectiveness and efficiency, highlighting areas for improvement. According to the results, 40% of participants felt that their incomes increased as a result of their participation, and production rates increased significantly, from 33.4% to 89.6%. In addition, 68.1% of respondents reported an increase in their gross sales income. However, challenges remain, such as the urgent need to overcome barriers to access to land and water.

“This is the first evaluation of the Rural Women’s Programme from a productive approach, which seeks to measure the increase in gross income per sale of the beneficiaries. The results show that women are improving their economic autonomy, but by marginal amounts”, ”, said Slachevsky. Rimisp’s lead researcher added that “the purpose indicator needs to be revised to get a more complete picture of how the programme impacts on the lives of the women who participate in it’”

The evaluation was presented to authorities, programme participants and representatives of organisations linked to the field. The undersecretaries for Women and Gender Equality, Luz Vidal Huiriqueo, and for Agriculture, Ignacia Fernández Gatica, highlighted the impact of the programme and the importance of considering the challenges identified in the study to strengthen institutional and organisational alliances.

The national director of INDAP, Santiago Rojas Alessandri, highlighted that the results of the programme are very positive and addressed some of the challenges of the study, such as the inclusion of more cultural relevance for indigenous women, who make up more than 30% of the participants, and the difficulties faced by women who live in isolated rural areas or who have to combine their care responsibilities with participation in the programme.

Sara Araya Gallegos, Prodemu’s Director of Programmes and Regional Management, highlighted the positive aspects of the study, especially the increase in income ‘Eighty-nine per cent of the women surveyed were satisfied and said that the programme transformed them during the three years of the programme. For us as a foundation, this data is crucial, as it reflects progress towards their empowerment and economic autonomy”, she concluded.

The ceremony also included an opportunity for collective reflection, where both the technicians and the participants were heard. Nancy Núñez, artisan and member of the Mesa de la Mujer Rural, shared her experience: “This programme must continue to be strengthened. I was empowered, I learned to value my work and my knowledge. We women were strengthened to make decisions ”.

The full study is available at: https://shorturl.at/LuJqU

Translation by: Alexandra Kerangal Macé