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Principles of the Action programme

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The RAJA-Danièle Marcovici
Foundation supports 12 projects through the action programme:
Women & Environment
Find out more about the Foundation
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RAJA, in partnership with our suppliers, have selected a range of eco-responsible partnership products to fund this programme
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Each time you purchase 1 pack of our eco-responsible partnership products, £1 is donated to the Foundation, which allocates the funds collected to the nominated projects.
Find out about the projects

About the Action programme

Established in 2006, the RAJA-Danièle Marcovici Foundation supports projects improving the living conditions of women all over the world. The Foundation has aided hundreds of associations benefiting tens of thousands of women.

Each time you purchase 1 pack of our eco-responsible partnership products, £1 is donated to the Foundation, which allocates the funds collected to the nominated projects.

Since 2015, more than €4 million has been collected and donated across the RAJA group, helping to support more than 800 projects for the direct benefit of more than 15,000 women in Africa, Latin America, Asia and Europe.

In 2023, nearly €500,000 was collected and donated by RAJA France and the European countries partipating in the Action Programme.

Projects Currently Supported

Each year, the RAJA-Danièle Marcovici Foundation selects associative projects acting in favour of women's actions for the environment. Here are the projects supported until 31/12/2025.

En Terre Indigène

Promoting the ancestral ecological knowledge of women in French Overseas Territories by organising workshops to pass on this knowledge to their communities.

In French Overseas Territories, women in local communities are suffering the consequences of global warming on food security, access to drinking water and even education, reinforcing gender inequalities. That's why they are making their voices heard and taking action. They are at the forefront of strategies to tackle climate change, often at community and local level. In all territories, because of their close relationship with their environment, they play a leading role in defending and preserving it and protecting damaged ecosystems. Today, women in the French Overseas Territories are passing on this ecological knowledge to young women in their communities, carrying the hope of a society that is more respectful of the environment and of the traditions that place the earth at the heart of life. The ‘De la Mère à la Terre’ project, created by the En Terre Indigène association, aims to promote ancestral ecological knowledge and women's ability to adapt by setting up transmission workshops (documented and filmed) to help them achieve greater economic autonomy, as well as providing them with training and advocacy tools to enhance the value of their knowledge and enable them to play a greater part in decision-making. Some of these practices, passed down from mother to daughter, are disappearing, and disseminating them to community women and young people could help them to become more self-sufficient.

Ishpingo

Supporting local women farmers in diversifying and increasing their fruit production in order to boost their income.

Over the last fifteen years or so, the living conditions of the Kichwa, the Amerindian populations of the Napo province in the Ecuadorian Amazon, have been deteriorating: the advance of pioneer fronts in the region is leading to rapid and massive deforestation, and the proliferation of oil and mining projects is causing increased pollution of the soil and waterways. The growth of this industry and the pressure on natural resources are causing a significant change in the way of life of local communities, who are suffering both from the rural exodus of men - who are leaving to work on extraction sites or in towns - and from the loss of their traditional farming practices. Women in this area are particularly vulnerable, as they are left to look after their families and produce their own food. The Ishpingo association, which specialises in the fight against deforestation, has identified a group of women whose homes and agricultural plots are located in a fertile but very isolated area. These women have an opportunity for economic development because they are located directly opposite an animal refuge, one of the largest in the country. They sell all their fruit to the refuge to feed the animals in captivity and those released into the forest. But the refuge's food requirements are two times greater than the amount of fruit produced by the women. Ishpingo proposes to support the women in increasing and diversifying their production by planting fruit trees on their plots, thereby enabling them to increase their income. They will be trained to become efficient producers of fruit that is suited to their own needs and those of their animals, and in larger quantities.

Kraten du développement durable, de la culture et du loisir

Strengthen the role of women fishermen by promoting their work, training them and supporting their participation in the sector's decision-making bodies.

On the Kerkennah Islands in Tunisia, the majority of the population make their living from small-scale fishing. These islands have RAMSAR and ZICO status, and will soon be a Marine and Coastal Protected Area, because of the diversity of the issues at stake, both ecological, with the protection of marine biodiversity, and socio-economic, with the need to stabilise the income from small-scale fishing. The fishing sector is very specific to the Kerkennah Islands, as it is not only run by men but also by women, who are involved throughout the value chain, from designing the nets to the fishing itself. However, inequalities between men and women are still very significant within the communities on these islands. Women fishermen do not own boats, fishing permits and licences are in their husbands' names, and they are absent from decision-making bodies relating to their sector of activity. Nor are they involved in marketing products or negotiating prices, even though they are the ones who catch the fish, collect the bivalves, clean the octopi, etc. Aware of this situation, the Association Kraten du Développement Durable de la Culture et du Loisir (AKDDCL), a local association that is very active in supporting the fishermen of the Kerkennah Islands, has set up a training and support programme aimed at strengthening the role of women in the fishing sector, enhancing the value of their work and supporting their participation in decision-making bodies concerning the sector and the Protected Marine and Coastal Area.

Chaussettes Solidaires

Offering sewing and repair workshops to women in precarious situations, with the aim of improving their skills and enabling them to enter the job market.

For fifteen years, in the Goutte d'Or district of Paris, the association Chaussettes Solidaires has been offering sewing and clothing repair workshops to women in precarious situations, particularly those living in emergency accommodation centres (CHU). Some of the repairs are made using socks collected from school businesses. A number of these women have expressed a desire to learn sewing as a trade, so as to escape from poverty for good. There are already training courses on the market, but they are often spread out over a long period of time (once a week, for example), or unsuitable for this type of audience (lack of follow-up and support for these people in difficulty). To meet their needs, the association is setting up short courses (6 months) that enable women to acquire technical skills and become familiar with the codes and behaviour expected on the job market.

Moi Jeu Tri

Training and supporting women in their professional integration in the circular economy and waste-sorting sector.

Waste management is one of the biggest problems facing African cities. Lack of sorting at the source, illegal dumping and waste dumped in municipal sewage systems all lead to flooding and the proliferation of numerous diseases. Côte d'Ivoire is no exception, with only 25% of waste collected and sent to landfill sites. Faced with these challenges, the Moi Jeu Tri (MJT) association has been working to improve waste management in the country since 2020. It began by raising young people's awareness of the environmental impact of the quantities of waste generated, and now wants to go further by experimenting with a programme to integrate vulnerable groups who are far from employment into waste collection and sorting activities. This women-only programme, called Waste Work for Women, will enable around sixty women to be trained and then supported in their professional integration in the circular economy and waste-sorting sector. Most Ivorian women are victims of socio-economic inequalities that are exacerbated by their gender. They are often less educated than men and are more likely to be unemployed. The waste management sector represents an opportunity to integrate these women more sustainably into formal employment.

Poh Kao, des Tigres et des Hommes

Helping tribal women living in the Sariska National Park to develop their dairy business.

In the Rajasthan region of India, Sarisha National Park is home to many protected animal species, including around thirty Bengal tigers. Within the park, 3 tribes live side by side with the wild animals, perpetuating an ancestral way of life in harmony with the local flora and fauna. These minorities are the best guarantors of the protection of the tigers, fighting against poaching and preserving the Sariska forest. They are herders who graze their animals (camels, buffalo, and goats) on the same territory as the tigers and other wild animals. These tribes are very vulnerable and totally excluded by the rest of the Indian population. They are vegetarians. They produce milk, which they sell to buy flour and make bread. Milk production is an activity carried out by the women, who are responsible for all aspects of feeding and animal welfare. Milk is produced in a very traditional way, using rudimentary means. The Poh Kao association and its partner Krapavis have been working together since 2017 in Sariska Park to protect the tigers and support the local population. In 2022, the women approached the associations to help them develop their dairy business and thus increase their income. 1 cooperative will be set up, managed by a women's self-help group (SHG). This cooperative will process the milk into milk cakes and butter in order to market them and generate additional income for the women.

Projeter Sans Frontières

Strengthening the independence of women farmers by improving their production systems, revitalising strategic local ecosystems and encouraging them to adopt responsible business practices.

In the Cundinamarca and Boyacá region of Colombia, a transition zone between urban and rural areas, rural women play a key role in agriculture and food production. However, their contribution remains invisible and poorly remunerated. In 2022, 29.8% of rural households headed by women were living in multidimensional poverty and had limited access to public services (health, education), infrastructure, connectivity, water, housing and technical assistance. Projeter Sans Frontières' project “Pour une ruralité durable: autonomisation des agricultrices et restauration agroécologique des écosystèmes” (Towards sustainable rurality: empowerment of women farmers and agro-ecological restoration of ecosystems) aims to reduce these disparities. It aims to strengthen the independence of 20 women farmers by improving their production systems, encouraging social entrepreneurial practices, and offering them the opportunity to certify themselves through the Participatory System of Guarantees (PGS), a participatory agroecological certification that is free of charge.

Naturevolution

Setting up a plastic waste collection system in the coastal villages of Kendari Bay with the help of 30 women who are trained and paid for this activity.

In the coastal town of Kendari (population 400,000), located in the province of Sulawesi Tengarra in Indonesia, 300 tonnes of waste are produced every day, much of which ends up in rivers and then in the bay because it is not collected upstream. The waste management system put in place by the local authorities is far from adequate. Plastic waste is a major local scourge, with a significant impact on biodiversity and the living conditions of local populations. The Naturevolution association, with its Indonesian partner, wanted to tackle this issue by first organising campaigns to collect waste and raise awareness among local people. The association wanted to go further by setting up its own system for collecting and sorting plastic waste with the help of women from coastal villages who are the first to suffer from this plastic pollution. These women, who come from vulnerable communities, are in precarious situations and live off the income generated by their husbands' fishing, or from odd jobs when they are widows. Naturevolution wants to help these women to set up an income-generating and emancipating plastic waste collection business in their own environment. The waste is then sold directly to Naturevolution Indonesia, which processes it in its recycling workshop.

Women Engage for a Common Future France

Promoting women's green entrepreneurship and raising the profile of women who are committed to a fairer and more sustainable transition for their region, in order to give them access to more development opportunities.

Since 2011, WECF France has been supporting women setting up businesses in rural areas of Haute-Savoie, and neighbouring departments in general, through the Femmes Rurales network. As a result of its attractiveness and geographical constraints, the department is subject to significant land pressure, making the preservation of its land all the more urgent. WECF France has carried out studies with around a hundred women entrepreneurs and found that they lack recognition and support for their activities, are isolated and have difficulty accessing entrepreneurial support services. These problems, combined with the fact that their activities are sometimes poorly paid, mean that these women are financially dependent. Yet they are essential to a fairer and more sustainable transition in their areas, as they are the bearers of innovative solutions and sustainable alternatives. The Femmes Rurales network, initiated by WECF France, aims to promote women's green entrepreneurship and raise the profile of these committed women, giving them access to more development opportunities. In 2025, the association wants to strengthen its network management by developing a multi-partner support service, highlighting the career paths of these inspiring women and digitalising its management tools. In addition, a Women & Biodiversity award will provide grants to 3 prizewinners to accelerate the development of their businesses.

Objectif France Inde

Strengthening the capacities and autonomy of women in the agricultural sector to ensure their financial independence and food security.

In the rural areas of the state of Tamil Nadu (southern India), climate change (drought, soil degradation) and the region's economic isolation are leading to a precarious situation for the population, particularly women, who are poorly qualified and discriminated against on the basis of their gender. With its partner, the NGO Gramium, which works as closely as possible to the needs of the community, the association Objectif France-Inde (OFI) is supporting the creation of self-help groups (JLG: Joint Liability Groups) for women living below the poverty line. Through this project, OFI and Gramium will be building the capacity and autonomy of women farmers in the region to ensure their financial independence by obtaining government-subsidised micro-credits, as well as their personal and social emancipation and food security. Already implemented with the NGO SEVAI, this project is a duplication of a programme that has been running for over 20 years for rural populations (175,000 women lifted out of poverty).

Rejoué

Promoting the socio-professional integration of women who are far from employment by training them in toy reuse professions.

A second-hand toy integration and revaluation project created in 2010, Rejoué ensures the integration of people who are far from employment, more than 60% of whom are women, through toy reuse activities in its workshop in Vitry-sur-Seine (94) and their resale at solidarity prices in two stores in the Paris region to individuals and childhood professionals. Since 1st January 2022, the AGEC law (Anti-Waste for a Circular Economy) has been applied and enacts the creation of an ERP (Extended Producer Responsibility) sector for toys. This new sector primarily targets the development of toy reuse, new collection channels and recycling. In line with this law and in order to better meet the challenges of the sector, Rejoué wishes to change scale by strengthening its storage capacities, its logistics skills and by developing its sales. These developments will benefit employees in integration in order to ensure them better employability and financial autonomy. Its action plan for the next 3 years consists of integrating the discovery of digital and logistics professions into the activities of the integration site, but also of securing the employees' paths thanks to a sustainable establishment of its workshop which will optimize the activity to collect and resell more toys.

Univers-Sel

Training women salt producers in solar salt production, a more environmentally friendly technique.

In Guinea-Bissau, women salt producers scrape the salty soil and then filter it with water to obtain brine: water saturated with salt, which they then boil over a mangrove wood fire to harvest the salt. It consumes a lot of wood and is a source of massive deforestation, and it takes 3 tons of wood to produce 1 ton of salt. This technique is also harmful to the health of women who inhale the fumes all day long. Faced with this observation, the Univers-Sel association has developed, with local producers and salt workers from Guérande, a more ecological production technique: solar salt production. The brine is poured onto plastic tarps and the action of the wind and sun causes the water to evaporate and the salt to crystallize. Univers-Sel has been deploying this technique in Guinea-Bissau, in the Oio region, since 2016. Every 3 years, during the first 2 phases and supported by the foundation, 48 relay producers from 38 villages were trained in solar salt production, and passed on their skills to 1,500 women. This project was awarded the Gender and Climate Solutions prize by the WECF in 2019. During this new 3-year phase (2023-2025), Univers-Sel wishes to deepen the support of the producers already trained, disseminate the technique to other villages, strengthen the tarpaulin sales sector and develop the marketing of salt.

Projects supported in 2024 by the "Women & Environment" action program.

Discover the actions carried out thanks to your support.

Association Humanitaire pour l’Afrique

Training women salt producers in more environmentally friendly production practices through the use of solar tarpaulins.

  • 30 women salt producers were supported in changing their practices
  • 30 tons of salt were produced using solar technology
  • 3 villages are supported by the project
Visit the association's website

Agronomes et Vétérinaires Sans Frontières

Strengthening the leadership skills of indigenous and peasant women to carry out political advocacy in defense of the Páramos, high-altitude lands with vital ecological functions for production.

  • 41 indigenous women were trained in environmental advocacy at the Dolores Cacuango school
  • 6 indigenous women were recruited to lead the workshops within the school
  • 500,000 people will benefit from the actions to protect the Páramos
Visit the association's website

CARE France

Supporting women coffee producers to develop more environmentally friendly practices and strengthen their leadership.

  • 280 women coffee producers supported over 1 year
  • Better recognition of Laotian coffee in the national and international market
Visit the association's website

Chaussettes Solidaires

Offering women in precarious situations clothing creation workshops using recycled socks as part of activities involving businesses and schools.

  • 26 people, 92% of whom were women, graduated
  • 80% of trainees found an internship, fixed-term contract, permanent contract or continued their studies at the end of their training
  • Around 260 items of clothing were repaired by the trainees during the training
Visit the association's website

Electriciens sans frontières

Promoting the emancipation of women entrepreneurs through the development of a new income-generating activity: the sale of a solar water pumping system for farmers.

  • 20 women entrepreneurs were trained in the sale of solar pumping installations
  • 5 women farmers benefit from new irrigation systems
Visit the association's website

GreenNKool

Improving the participation of feminist organizations in environmental preservation while combating gender-based violence.

  • 10 civil society organizations are supported
  • 300 women and girls are impacted by the project as beneficiaries of 10 civil society organizations
Visit the association's website

Habitat-Cité

Promoting rural family food sovereignty by enabling women to create their own edible forest composed of shrubs and fruit trees.

  • 4 women are specifically trained in agroecology and support around 15 women in creating their edible forest
  • 30 girls were made aware of gender and climate issues
Visit the association's website

Inti Energies Solidaires

Improving women's resilience to climate change by offering them concrete, eco-responsible solutions in carrying out their income-generating activities.

  • 4 groups, or 100 women, were supported in optimizing their income-generating activity
  • 400 women are equipped with eco-responsible cookers
Visit the association's website

La Voûte Nubienne

Building Nubian vault storage spaces, an ancestral technique using only locally available materials and enabling the construction of decent, affordable and resilient houses in the Sahel, for women producers of onions and shallots.

  • 1 storage building was built in the Nubian Vault that benefits around 30 women
  • 13 women were supported in building a plea for decent housing that is resilient to climate change
Visit the association's website

Objectif France-Inde

Strengthening the capacities and autonomy of women in the agricultural sector to ensure their financial independence and food security.

  • 200 self-help groups have been formed in Karur district, reaching around 1,200 women
  • 300 existing self-help groups continue to be supported in their development in the Karur district, representing around 1,800 women
  • 80 to 120 toilets will be renovated in 9 villages in the rural area
  • 1,000 schoolgirls were made aware of hygiene and health issues
Visit the association's website

Rejoué

Promoting the socio-professional integration of women who are far from employment by training them in toy reuse professions.

  • 39 women in integration were supported
  • 60% of them found sustainable employment or qualifying training after their integration contract
  • 41 tons of toys were reused
Visit the association's website

Univers-Sel

Training women salt producers in solar salt production, a more environmentally friendly technique.

  • 400 women salt producers were trained in solar salt production
  • Thanks to solar technology, 97 tonnes of wood were saved and greenhouse gas emissions were reduced by 189 tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
Visit the association's website