Regional Headline :

Smallholderwomen farmers see improved financial independence with supportfrom Walmart Foundation Grantees

KOLKATA, OCT 13/--/0n International Rural Women's Day, Walmart Foundation highlights the impactful efforts of NGOs

Producer Organizations/Farmer Producer Groups targeting 800,000 farmers, of which more than half are women, sources informed.

like PRADAN, ACCESS, Mercy Corps and Srijan, working in collaboration with the Walmart Foundation's Market Access Program. The Walmart Foundation, through its Market Access Program, is committed to support agrarian communities in nine states across India Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, West Bengal, and Maharashtra. In March 2023, expanding on its commitment to improving farmer livelihoods in India, Walmart Foundation announced a new five-year strategy that aims toreach 1 million smallholder farmers by 2028 with at least 50% women. Since 2018, the program has invested over $39 million designed to reach 500 Farmer

Julie Gehrki, Vice President, Chief Operating Officer,

Walmart Foundation, said, "On International Rural Women's Day, we are excited about the strides made by these resilient women who have harnessed the opportunities presented by the Market Access Program. We are witnessing the emergence of women leaders within Farmer Producer Organisations breaking barriers, and spearheading change. With organisations like ACCESS, Mercy Corps, PRADAN and Srijan by our side, we are forging a path toward greater gender equality, economic empowerment, and sustainable rural development. Together, we are nurturing a brighter future for rural women farmers and their communities."——EOIC