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Competitions show women that they are all winners Since 2005, national competitions designed for women entrepreneurs in the Andean region are building their self-esteem and self-reliance and giving them the courage to attain their dreams. This year women from Bolivia, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru will compete for prizes. More importantly, they will learn from one another.
Forty-eight-year-old Dulce Maria Torres grew up in the mountains of Gavidia, in the Venezuelan state of Merida, the daughter of shepherds. She raises sheep and runs a weavers’ association that uses local wool and sells to shops in the tourist region of the Venezuelan Andes. In September 2007, the association, called Mujeres Tejedoras de Gavidia, or Women Weavers of Gavidia,won first prize in the handcraft category of an IFAD-sponsored women’s national competition. In November, Torres will travel to Bolivia to represent Venezuela at the regional women’s contest in La Paz.
“My mother was a good weaver and I learned weaving with her,” said Torres. “Now I am teaching my skills to other women in the community and we are doing some research on the story of weaving in our region.” Torres is one of thousands of women in the Andean region who, by participating in IFAD-sponsored competitions, are learning that their skills have value in their families and in their communities. And for many women, the awards have helped them gain recognition from their husbands. Expanding the competitions to another level
The first national ‘Women Against Poverty’ competition, held in September 2005 in La Paz, Bolivia, was aimed specifically at small-scale business women in rural areas. Nearly 80 women’s associations submitted entries and 12 of them were selected to compete. Second and third editions were organized in 2006 and 2007, respectively, with increasing participation. The contests have been held in Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. The objective of the competitions is to provide recognition and economic support to small-scale businesses run by women’s associations. They also call the attention of public and private institutions to the problems poor rural women face in getting access to market and new technologies. Associations compete in two categories: agro-production and handcrafts. All groups that are selected receive a prize – US$1,000 for first prize and about US$300 for the runners up. The submissions are evaluated on the basis of five comprehensive development criteria: financial, physical, social, human and natural capital.
This year the women’s competition will scale-up to a subregional level and will include much more than money awards, says Lissette Canavesi, IFAD field presence officer in Bolivia and coordinator of these women-focused contests. “For the regional contest, we want to enhance the potential for learning and networking,” she said. “We are preparing training sessions and will invite representatives of fair trade organizations and organic markets so that the participants can find new opportunities for their products.” A contest where everyone wins
The competitions encourage people to share their ideas in public. This way everybody wins: the groups that are awarded prizes, because they receive compensation in cash and public recognition; and the other participants, who learn new and better ways to solve problems. “The contests have been highly successful in empowering poor rural women and promoting economic and social development,” said Roberto Haudry, IFAD’s country programme manager for the Andean subregion. “For the women involved, ‘success’ means overcoming difficulties, making progress, redistributing earnings equally and helping each other,” he said. “These things are as every bit as important to them as crafting beautiful products.” Obdulia Torres, the president of the fruit processing association Las Emprendedoras, agrees. “Before I thought of myself only as a housewife,” said Torres. “Now I have my cooperative, I teach and I receive recognition for my work.” “I have dreamed of this award for a long time,” she said. “It took me time to be awarded but I tried hard and I got it. This is my message to the other participants: never give up hope.”
Source: IFAD |
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Amalia Calamani de Quispe, 37, is the sales manager of Alpaquita Andina, a successful business that sells wool and charqui, which is dried alpaca and llama meat. 
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