Sharing some field evidences in Southeast Asia to consider in designing more responsive
training programs in agriculture entrepreneurship and financial services for women.
´ Simple special touches enhance effectiveness of trainings for women in otherwise male-
centered programs. Widening training opportunities for women farmers (as partners
and not just as substitute participants for husbands) reinforces women’s knowledge and
technical competencies in agriculture entrepreneurship and are key to access better
quality jobs and to boost productivity gains in traditional activities.
´ Making technologies and infrastructure accessible and affordable are keys to
development and social inclusion, particularly of women from rural areas. Extra effort to
reach out to poor or female-headed households (more accessible venues, schedules not
in conflict with regular household chores, etc) to ensure that no one is left behind in
partaking benefits of a development initiatives.
´ Financial inclusion of women largely depends on keeping the services as responsive to
their needs as possible (product form, access and affordability, among others) to allow
them to capture the emergence of new business opportunities. Achieving this high level
of responsiveness requires knowing your women client and working in close relation
with them.