In spite of a worldwide increased emphasis being placed on gender equity much work still needs to be done to make significant progress with this issue.
Mainstreaming gender issues contributes to development policy making, planning and implementation, is sensitive to the needs of women and men and promotes equality of opportunity and benefit.
Gender issues have been firmly put on the agenda through the development of the Gender Committee within REST with representatives from most departments. The main task for the Committee is to promote increased access to resources, support and options to participate across all program and projects.
REST has formulated a gender policy, the main tenant of which is the empowerment of women through their effective participation at various levels of development programs. The implementation of the policy goes some way in addressing targeted women’s needs through building capacity, improving knowledge about rights, increasing access to potable water, health services and education and engaging them in different income generating activities.
Despite many examples of inequity in daily life, when it comes to work in the fields these barriers seem to fade. Indeed, often in spite of limited access to resources, many female household heads are more interested in adopting new ideas and become model farmers such as this woman with her new apple trees.