The Joint Programme on Rural Women’s Economic Empowerment (JP RWEE) is a global initiative aimed at securing the livelihoods, rights, and resilience of rural women and their households. In Rwanda, it is funded by WFP, FAO, IFAD, and UN Women, and implemented by four partners targeting 8,000 rural women across five districts: Kirehe, Ngoma, Gisagara, Nyaruguru, and Nyamasheke. The component implemented by the Rwanda Rural Rehabilitation Initiative (RWARRI), in partnership with the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion (MIGEPROF) and funded by WFP, spans from 2024 to 2027.
Key interventions include the installation of a 10-hectare solar-powered irrigation system to support year-round vegetable production and enhance food security and nutrition; promotion of biofortified crops such as High-Iron Beans (HIB), Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potatoes (OFSP), and carotene-rich cassava; and improvement of post-harvest handling through the provision of solar dryers and eco-friendly crates. The project also supports the establishment of cold rooms, large-scale Zero Energy Cooling Chambers (ZECCs), and processing units to add value to farm produce.
Rural women are linked to agricultural value chain actors, including Farmer Service Centers (FSCs) and potential buyers, including schools. These efforts are complemented by policy engagement activities that raise awareness of existing policies and facilitate policy dialogues on gender, agriculture, and climate change policies to influence and bridge policy gaps affecting rural women.
