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„Game Changers - Women in Agriculture“ Award winner 2020
Bariétou Agbere
President of an initiative for women in agriculture (*1965)
Togo
Nominating organization:
Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung
Project:
“ONE WORLD – No Hunger - Women's Land Rights in West Africa"
“Bariétou Agbere initiated and leads the National Network of Togolese Women Famers (RENAFAT). With her long-standing commitment, she brought about major positive changes for rural women in Togo, locally and nationwide. She proves the importance of successful mobilization of people to drive change. Despite being in a difficult situation as a widow and single mother, Bariétou Agbere managed to develop leadership skills to convey her message – women can be successful agripreneurs.
She also demonstrated great entrepreneurial talent herself by diversifying her agriculture-based business activities. From marketing of local parboiled rice, she expanded to forming a company for processing peanuts and producing packaged and certified shea butter. With RENAFAT, she encouraged the creation of cooperatives engaging in value chain development of different agricultural products. Despite socio-cultural barriers in a male-dominated rural society, she manages to mobilize women even with low educational background and helped lifting them from poverty.
With her passion, commitment and skills Bariétou Agbere has become a nationally recognized female leader for the agricultural community. Her ability to successfully integrate women in diversified activities along different agricultural value chains allowing them to generate more income of their own has strongly impressed the jury. Moreover, she is an impressive campaigner for the rights of rural women, for their inclusion in agricultural policies and for their economic and social empowerment.”
My role is to help women to blossom. To be responsible for their activities. As you know, rural women are working in production, processing, marketing and storage. To be fulfilled, they need to be taught how to produce better.
Bariétou Agbere
Extract from the nomination
Her commitment to the cause of women farmers comes from her experiences of rural life as a woman farmer herself. The difficulties and challenges faced by these women led to her working to plan and organise rural women’s groups in her community. Her efforts led to the creation in 2012 of RENAFAT, a network of women farmers and processors of agricultural produce, which is highly representative of rural women. Its activities have contributed to the recognition and empowerment of women farmers in Togo.
In 2017, RENAFAT set up a processing unit for packaged parboiled rice called "Riz la Grâce". Following a conference that year in Germany on the theme "Leadership and Entrepreneurship of Rural Women", Ms Agbere gained skills enabling her to support women's groups in the creation of agricultural cooperatives and the development of small income generating activities (IGA). To date, Ms Agbere’s organisation has established a company for processing peanuts and producing packaged and certified shea butter.”
“Mrs. Agbere was exposed to the so-called inquisitive gaze of men. Because it is an environment where we are not used to see women, also fighting for their rights. The rights of their fellows and generally human rights. Ms. Agbere has faced these difficulties all along her journey.”
Maurice Gblodzro, Coordinator Togo, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.V.