Ash, a teacher and refugee living in Nakivale Refugee Settlement, developed an innovative product to help tackle hunger and low-nutrition in her classroom.
Mary is a businesswoman and farmer living in Malawi, building a better future for herself and her family with the help of Opportunity International.
Felicia is a farmer in Rwanda. With access to a loan and training, she was able to invest in her farm and become an independent earner in her household.
Alice has been able to transform her farm and diversify her income through access to finance and training, helping her to buy health insurance for her family and buy clothes for her children.
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© 2026 Opportunity InternationalOpportunity International United Kingdom is registered as a charity in England and Wales (1107713) and in Scotland (SCO39692).
The year 2026 has been delcared the International Year of the Woman Farmer—a global moment led by the United Nations to recognise the essential role that women play in growing, processing and selling much of the food their communities depend on.
Opportunity International UK is launching Growing Her Future, a one‑year campaign that aims to raise £350,000 to support 30,000 women farmers and rural business owners across Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda and Ghana. By providing practical training, access to savings and loans, digital tools and climate‑smart agricultural support, we will help women grow stronger livelihoods and build secure futures for their families.
Because when women have equal access to resources and opportunities, the results ripple across households and communities: families eat better, children attend school, incomes rise, and communities become more resilient to climate shocks.
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Women play an essential role in agriculture and food systems, making up 43% of the workforce. They often contribute a significant share of the labour needed to plant, harvest and sell food, while also maintaining their households and caring for their children.
Despite their pivotal role, women farmers face several obstacles. Many are denied secure access to land and property, banking services, modern tools and technologies, and improved farming supplies such as seeds and fertilisers. They are also often excluded from training and education that could help them improve their harvests and food quality. Climate shocks also disproportionately affect rural women, who frequently lack the savings, assets, and information needed to recover quickly. For women farmers and rural business owners, discrimination, limited access to markets, and little social support can be part of their everyday lives.
Together, these challenges not only restrict their potential but can also deepen poverty, particularly in rural communities.
According to 'The Status of Women in Agrifood Systems in sub-Saharan Africa', Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, 2025.
According to UN Women, 2024
Our Growing Her Future campaign addresses four key themes to investing in womens futures:
Women are often traditionally excluded from accessing finance and often don’t have a say in family financial decisions. Opportunity works with banks and savings groups to help women gain access to finance, while our training and digital tools build skills in saving, investing, and borrowing. We also support women and their partners to work together towards shared family goals, helping women take a stronger role in household decision‑making and community leadership through gender‑inclusive training.
Opportunity supports women to grow their farms and rural businesses through training in agriculture, business, and finance. Agricultural training helps women farmers know what to plant and when, protect crops from climate risks, and improve soil health, leading to higher yields, better‑quality produce, and increased incomes. We also train rural business owners to strengthen their businesses and finances, helping many grow their income and business skills. Many go on to create jobs within their communities, enabling others to build strong, stable livelihoods.
Climate shocks and emergencies are increasing. Drought, flooding, and extreme weather are making farming an increasingly unstable livelihood. Opportunity works with rural communities in sub‑Saharan Africa to build resilience by training farmers in climate‑smart techniques, crop diversification, and encouraging them to introduce alternative income sources such as livestock. We also support farmers and small business owners to build savings and access peer support, weather reports and market information, helping families prepare for and withstand future shocks.
When families are well-fed, they thrive - children can go to school and concentrate better, families have better health, reducing healthcare costs, and parents are able to work more productively on their land or business, generating more income. Opportunity is supporting women to grow more on their farms, improving their family’s food security. With increased income and harvests, women are providing their children with full, balanced and nutritious meals.
Our work with women
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Want to find out more about how you can support our Growing Her Future campaign? Contact Rebecca Andrews, our Director of Fundraising & Communications, on [email protected]
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