Women farmers continue to be at a disadvantage position with limited access to resources, financial services, and government subsidies, among other things. Aside from farm work, women take care of their children and the elderly. Thus, the multiple crises such as the pandemic, extreme weather events, and increase in agri input prices due to the Ukraine-Russia war leave them in a desperate situation. To respond to such challenges, 8 women entrepreneurs with support from the Kyrgyzstan Association of Forest and Land Users (KAFLU) established the Ishker KG cooperative to provide advisory services on ways to increase the production of organic products to meet market demand, address the challenges related to access to high-quality seeds and fertilizers, create jobs for poor families, protect the environment, and advance women’s rights. Moreover, they have organized themselves to be able to supply the market demand (local and export market) of 60 tons of nuts, 20 tons of peeled pistachios, and 40 tons of capers and other fruits.
Read the case study: Case Study_Kyrgyzstan_Ishker KG Women’s Cooperative
Turdumatova Zhazgul is a proud member of the Ishker KG cooperative, an initiative co-founded by eight remarkable #women, herself included. Thanks to her involvement with the cooperative, she had the invaluable opportunity to partake in specialized training programs, knowledge that she expertly applied to enhance her agricultural endeavors. The newfound expertise she acquired through these training sessions fortified her skills and significantly boosted her income from farming.
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