Action programme
for Women & the
Environment
SUPPORTED BY RAJA-DANIÈLE MARCOVICI FOUNDATION
The campaign continues with 6 NEW projects!
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Until 31th August 2022, every time you buy a pack of these products £1 is automatically donated to the RAJA-Danièle Marcovici Foundation.
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In partnership with its suppliers, the RAJA Group has selected eco-responsible products, these Partnership products finance the Action Programme.
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The Foundation has selected 6 projects for the “Women & the Environment” Action Programme. Funds collected will be donated to the charities concerned in September 2022.
Find out about the projects >
Projects
Association 1: Agrisud International
Support the development of sustainable and inclusive agricultural sectors by women from ethnic minorities in Hoang Lien National Park.
Hoang Lien National Park (PNHL) in northern Vietnam is largely populated by Hmong, Giay, and Dao ethnic minorities living off agriculture and crafts. In these communities, several obstacles to the development of women's activities are still noticeable: poor access to land, early marriage, illiteracy. The “IDEAS Femmes” project, carried by the Agrisud International, enables the empowerment of women by supporting them in the creation of an income-generating activity (IGA) and by offering them literacy courses facilitating their integration into the workplace and agricultural sectors. The objective of the project is to enable women to be integrated and valued members of the local economy who have a recognised role in their community.
French NGO, Agrisud International has been working for 30 years in the South of the country alongside families in need and local stakeholders for sustainable and inclusive development. Its work aims to promote agricultural Very Small Enterprises (VSEs) which ensure food and nutritional security, preserve natural resources, and create more values locally.
Go to website >Objectives
- 40 women farmers trained and supported in the creation of an income-generating activity
- 45 women farmers can speak, read, and write Vietnamese, as well as do simple calculations, thanks to the literacy classes
Association 2: blueEnergy France
Train retired and / or disabled women in agroecological practices to ensure their food security.
In Bluefields, capital of the autonomous region of the Southern Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua, the population is extremely poor and the communities live in some difficult conditions. The poorest peripheral neighbourhoods do not have the infrastructure that allows residents to have access to drinking water, electricity or even a healthy and varied diet throughout the year. Nicaragua is particularly vulnerable to climate change. Conventional agriculture and deforestation of land which has been rendered sterile, hard, and acidic, has only lead to an increase in extreme weather conditions. The most vulnerable women are the first affected by this climate change. In response to these issues, blueEnergy is leading a food security program to help families adapt to the effects of climate change. Women in vulnerable situations (disabled women and elderly women) are trained in agroecology and permaculture techniques to create their family vegetable gardens. They then disseminate the practices within their community.
blueEnergy was created in 2004 to sustainably improve the living conditions of marginalized populations in Nicaragua and Ethiopia. Its programs include access to clean water, renewable energy, sanitation, and hygiene, and improving food and nutrition security through agroecological methods.
Go to website >Objectives
- 16 women promoters who are members of the Association for the Elderly and the Association for Disabled Women are trained in agroecology and the management of micro-projects - i.e., 80 beneficiaries
- 48 families are supported by the women promoters to create their family vegetable gardens - that is to say 240 people
- 3 students from the regional university support the promoters in their mission
Association 3: Empow’Her
Support women in the development of sustainable agriculture by allowing them to manage their economic development, and by making a positive contribution to actions to combat climate change.
In Niger, one of the poorest countries in the world, 73% of people living below the poverty line are women. For those living in rural areas, the precariousness is exacerbated. Nigerien women suffer from a lack of access to economic rights and resources. Only 13% of agricultural landowners are women. In addition, the agricultural practices in place have a negative impact on the environment. 75% of women surveyed by Empow’Her admit to using unsustainable production practices.
The "PERENIA" project, carried by Empow'Her, supports, and assists women in the development of sustainable agriculture, to allow them to have control of their economic development, but also to contribute positively to actions such as to fight against climate change. The PERENIA project thus strengthens the integration and place of women in agricultural value chains, and allows the recognition of the crucial role that women play in agriculture.
Empow’Her is an international network of organizations working for the economic and social empowerment of women, strengthening their freedom and capacity to be entrepreneurial. Empow’Her implements coaching and training programs that equip women with the skills they need to decide their future and develop sustainable livelihoods for themselves and their communities.
Go to website >Objectives
- 8,000 women engage in agricultural production
- 40 women are ambassadors and disseminate good agricultural practices
- 15 women carry out an entrepreneurial project with a social / environmental impact
Association 4: Habitat-Cité
Improve the living conditions of women by training them in construction trades on school sites and by sensitising them to environmentally-friendly agriculture with the creation of edible forests.
In the Jacmel and Bainet Valley, a mountainous region that is difficult to access in the south-east of Haiti, the inhabitants live mainly from agriculture, animal husbandry and crafts. Due to drought, deforestation and natural disasters, rural communities face many challenges affecting their crops and living conditions.
To respond to this problem, Habitat-Cité and its partner OJUCAH have launched a project to create edible forests, by women from local communities, in order to fight against deforestation and diversify food crops. Edible forests will make it possible to limit deforestation and improve the food sovereignty of populations. To promote the employment of women, they benefit from training and support in the creation of income-generating activity in the construction sector. Construction techniques, taught by Habitat-Cité and OJUCAH, in local and natural materials are recognised by the Haitian government and recommended to adapt the country's infrastructure to protect it from the risk of natural disasters. Activities for young girls are also planned to make them aware of environmental and gender issues.
Habitat-Cité works in the field of poor housing and access to rights for people living in very precarious situations internationally and in France. She has more than 15 years of experience in the implementation of development programs in the following areas: fight against poverty, housing, training and capacity building, participatory methodology, gender equality, empowerment of women, food sovereignty. and environmental protection.
Go to website >Objectives
- 50 women are trained in the creation of edible forests and the creation of an income-generating activity
- 50 girls are made aware of environmental and gender issues
Association 5: Women of Africa
Rehabilitate and preserve the biodiversity of the Camayenne botanical garden while training and creating jobs for women.
Africa is one of the continents suffering most from climate change. Deforestation due to overexploitation of timber endangers African biodiversity. Women are the first to be affected by climate change in Africa. In the centre of the city of Conakry in Guinea, the Camayenne botanical garden is considered the green lung of the city. Spread over 8 hectares, it is home to very rare and endangered species of trees and plants. Due to the pressure exerted by the urban environment (logging, construction, not taking this heritage into account), the botanical garden is increasingly weakened. Faced with this plight, Women of Africa launched a project to restore and preserve the biodiversity of this garden while creating jobs for women. The restoration of the Camayenne garden by a group of women will allow the planting of 1,000 additional trees and plants.
Created in 2002, Women of Africa carries out actions to support populations and the sustainable development of territories. Present in 16 countries, it works in areas such as environmental protection and biodiversity, female entrepreneurship, training, education, health, heritage preservation and access to energy sustainable.
Go to website >Objectives
- 50 women trained in the cleaning, restoration, and preservation of the botanical garden
- Creation of a cooperative managed by women to promote the sale of products from the garden (honey, flowers).
Association 6: PikPik Environnement
Mobilise and educate mothers of L’Ile-Saint-Denis on waste management so that they disseminate good practices among their peers.
At the COP 21 event, PikPik Environment wanted each individual to take the event seriously, and understand that the messages carried by the COP benefit everyone. The association has created downloadable tools so that each person can organise their discussion and debate workshop around ecological transition. PikPik Environment now wishes to capitalise on this experience by experimenting with the "Eco-citizen passport" project, a project to mobilise and raise awareness of citizens on the themes of sustainable development.
The action is being carried out in a popular district of Ile-Saint-Denis in Seine-Saint-Denis, to spread messages to a population in a precarious situation who may feel a lack of legitimacy in supporting them. Ile-Saint-Denis is a territory in which PikPik Environnement is particularly well established. As part of its activities, the association found that mothers were the most present during events and the most involved in their neighbourhood.
Women and residents of lower-income neighbourhoods are the first victims of environmental problems, while being a formidable lever for change. In the form of an experiment, Passeport écocitoyen makes it possible to educate mothers of families in Ile-Saint-Denis about waste management so that they can share good practices with their peers. This will involve promoting the role of these women in their neighbourhood, supporting them in improving their living environment and preserving resources. This almost autonomous awareness-raising format is a tremendous lever for increasing the impact of PikPik Environnement in vulnerable populations.
PikPik Environnement is an association supporting ecological and inclusive transition, specializing in education about the urban environment and eco-citizenship, through fun and participatory activities. It supports the change in behaviour of each individual and more specifically targets audiences who are more distant from environmental issues, especially those in priority neighbourhoods.
Go to website >Objectives
- 50 women lead awareness campaigns among their peers.
- Reduction in the quantity of waste collected on Ile-Saint-Denis.