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| ¡¡¡¡¡¡Our Programs : Microcredit |
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The situation of rural women in Ningxia
¡¡¡¡In rural China, villages and households are still ruled by men. Because women marry into their husbands¡¯ families, daughters are considered economic burdens, and are therefore denied opportunities for education.Unfortunately, the biases against women exist not only at the family and village levels but also extend to training provided by government bureaus, as only 5% of agricultural extension training in China targets women. Because women marry into their husbands¡¯ families, daughters are considered economic burdens, and are therefore denied opportunities for education.According to the World Banks¡¯ 2001 Report Overcoming Rural Poverty, new technical knowledge and training for women are particularly important for domestic livestock raising, where the high number of animal deaths has direct repercussions for family income and poverty alleviation.Monetary support for economic activities is simply not enough to overcome the centuries of discrimination. Women need education, training, and opportunities to work together in safe environments to build confidence and self-esteem.Our project will continue to give the women of Ningxia fresh opportunities to learn skills that will enhance and develop their own lives and also the lives of their children and broader communities. |
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Ningxia has the third highest incidence of rural poverty in China.Sale of sheep products accounts for over 40% of local farmers¡¯ annual income, which is less then 125 USD.However, overgrazing has turned much of the region¡¯s grassland into sandy desert, and the government has issued a ban on animal grazing on all public grasslands.Without access to the public lands, farmers must keep their sheep in their yards and either purchase or grow food, thus dramatically increasing the cost of raising sheep and further impoverishing the farmers.As a result, it is imperative that the farmers diversify their income sources and adapt their sheep raising techniques so that their small agribusinesses can be profitable without the use of public grassland.
¡¡¡¡ As the ban on public grassland use has shifted the site of the sheep raising to within the home, it is now part of the women¡¯s responsibility.This shift has created an opportunity for the women to achieve real economic independence, simultaneously altering the balance of power both at home and within the community and supporting the government¡¯s work to reverse environmental degradation. |
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Mission statement. |
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¡¡¡¡We operate on a community basis, aiming at integrated development of communities by targeting poor rural women.Through the provision of credit, the promotion of environmentally sustainable agricultural practices, and literacy training, we seek to improve the environment and empower women to participate in family and community decision making, facilitating the sustainable development of the livelihoods of poor rural communities.
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The people we serve are rural poor women almost all between 25 and 40 and having received only a primary school education.Most are married with children and are responsible for household chores such as cooking and cleaning as well as raising the animals.In a patriarchal society that has reinforced the message that they are second-class citizens, they suffer from low self-esteem and are afraid to stand up for themselves at home and in the community.
¡¡¡¡The active participation of women in decision making at the household and community level is essential for community economic development.By providing the necessary tools women can achieve the economic independence and build the self-confidence necessary for them to make their voices heard.
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¡¡¡¡We use participatory methods to engage women in education and micro-loan programs.The credit program provides initial loans of 1000 RMB (about 125 USD) for specific projects, usually purchasing animals, animal feed, or upgrading animal pens.The annual interest rate is 12%.Each loan lasts for six months, and the women are required twice a month to put 1% of their total loan amount into a savings account held by the Women¡¯s Development Microfinance Center.The interest rate paid on the savings accounts is 7.2% annually.At the end of the six months, the women are required repay the entire loan amount plus interest.This lump sum payment is especially well suited to animal breeding activities where periodic sales of animals generate a large sums of money but do not provide cash on a weekly basis.After successful loan repayment, women qualify to apply for larger loans, with the maximum loan size reaching 2500 RMB (about 313 USD).
¡¡¡¡ Before taking out loans, the women form small groups of five to six women and agree to guarantee the timely repayment of each other¡¯s loans.These small groups join together to form the women¡¯s credit committees.Each committee selects a leader, who acts as the committee¡¯s cashier, as well an accountant, who also acts as a secretary, recording the committee¡¯s activities and keeping records of members¡¯ borrowing and savings. The credit committees meet twice a month, and at the meetings, the women collect payments, approve new loans, plan activities, and receive training on topics chosen by the women themselves and relevant to their economic activities.A Women¡¯s DevelopmentAssociationMicrofinanceCenter credit promoter attends each session.The credit promoters are chosen from the communities in which the loan program operates and participate in a three-month training in agricultural techniques, group facilitation skills, and loan accounting before taking on their credit promotion responsibilities.They act as the bridges between us and the villagers, answering questions, providing basic training, and delivering payments to the Center.They are also responsible for bringing in outside resources related to the meeting topics the village credit committees choose.For example, if the women on a village credit committee decide they need more information about optimum feed for pigs, then their credit promoter would bring in articles and pamphlets and help the women read them.If the women want to improve their reading skills, the credit promoter might bring in adult literacy educational materials.
¡¡¡¡ We select villages into which to extend the microfinance program based on the economic need and the enthusiasm of the villagers as evaluated during several exploratory meetings.Once a village is selected, program staff organize meetings with the entire village to explain the project.It is important that the men understand the purpose of the program and the benefits that can accrue to the entire household and to the broader community, so that they become supportive of the program and do not obstruct the women¡¯s participation.When we decide to expand into a new village, women interested in joining the Association and participating in the credit program receive an initial training on how the program works, the responsibilities of taking out a loan, and financial management.The women then form groups and select a village credit committee leader and secretary.Once the credit committee is up and running and the first loans have been disbursed, one of the first projects the women take on is the construction of a community activity center.We provide a location for the credit committee to meet, a space to hold other community activities, and holds a library of books, newspapers, and articles available to all the villagers. |
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1.Since June of 1999 the Yanchi Women¡¯s Development Association has provided over 1 million USD in loans to over 1500 women with an average loan size of under $200 and a 99.5% repayment rate.They have also mobilized over 35,000 USD in client savings.
2. The Women¡¯s DevelopmentMicrofinanceCenter has founded village credit committees in 54 villages and currently works with 1300 members of the Association.According to a study in 2002 done by the Women¡¯s Development Association, in conjunction with China Agricultural University, families participating in the village credit committees have seen a 73% increase in their annual incomes.
3. In the 54 villages in which the Women¡¯s Development Association works, women¡¯s participation in community meetings and organizations has increased dramatically.Before the project¡¯s initiation, 98.7% of women had never participated in a village meeting; as of 2002, 53.9% of village women have participated in meetings at least twice a year.
4. The women have established 7 different Farmers¡¯ Associations, open to both men and women and concentrating on the specific problems of the particular economic activities, such as corn planting or pig breeding.
5. To date, Association members have built 33 village activity centers, and the Association has held 68 large-scale technical training sessions, reaching 5168 people.The women have also organized 21 large-scale cultural activities celebrating traditional festivals and promoting literacy. |
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Agriculture techniques training |
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¡¡¡¡Because simply providing monetary aid is not enough to support economic activities, we are also holding agriculture techniques trainings. Women are systematically excluded from agricultural extension trainings and rural women¡¯s literacy level is very low.
¡¡¡¡Therefore, education and trainings are necessary components in any development program hoping to support successful animal husbandry activities. In order to overcome centuries of discrimination, women need opportunities to come together in safe environments to build confidence and self esteem.
¡¡¡¡That is why, throughout the year, we organize large-scale training events focusing on animal husbandry techniques.These trainings help introduce new activities such as pig and chicken raising, which both diversify the women¡¯s income sources as well as provide alternatives to the sheep raising that has been so destructive to the environment.It is worth mentioning as well that although the training is targeted towards women in the community, all villagers are allowed to participate. |
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Through small loans, the women gain control over the income earned from animal husbandry, directly impacting their status within the household and in the broader community.The International Fund for Agricultural Development¡¯s 1995 report on The Status of Rural Women in China found that ¡°where rural women in China increase their income, their status in the household improves: Their relationships with other family members, and particularly with their husbands, often change. Their say in decisions increases as well.¡±
¡¡¡¡Additionally, in 2001, the Chinese government announced a new plan for poverty reduction that relies on each village to draw up their own poverty alleviation plans, allocating government resources.It is therefore essential that women gain the self-confidence necessary to speak up in village meetings and thus feel comfortable giving input and contributing to the creation of the poverty alleviation plans.When women join us and come together to administer our microfinance programs and participate in our training activities, they learn how to speak out in front of others in a safe environment. When they attend local village meetings as members of our Association, they no longer feel isolated and have the courage to speak out and make sure their voices are heard.
¡¡¡¡We also help facilitate large-scale cultural activities that give the women from different villages a chance to come together, discuss common issues, and exchange ideas. Often these events will include activities such as reading contests or performances by individual women¡¯s groups, which help build their confidence and improve their public speaking skills. Finally, the women themselves organize training activities within the villages on topics that they believe are the most relevant to themselves and their neighbors, and, when they organize activities, we provide technical expertise when necessary. |
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