Cooperatives show the strength of rural women at the “International Seminar on gender and cooperativism”

The participation of women in rural activities has been strengthening both in Brazil and in other countries. Within this context, cooperatives play an important role in the development of sustainable practices that favor this inclusion. Some examples, which show how female strength operates in this business model, were presented at the International Seminar on Gender and Cooperativism, held today (Tuesday, 27/11), at the headquarters of the OCB System, in Brasília.

ability to overcome - Five years after having faced losses caused by the fire that destroyed the warehouse with all the fiber production of the Mixed Agricultural Cooperative of Manacapuru, in Amazonas, president Eliana Medeiro says she is ready for new challenges. “It was a very difficult period, but we knew how to rebuild ourselves. We are preparing to deliver the first crop of guaraná that will be raw material for a multinational non-alcoholic beverage company,” she said. Eliana started at the cooperative 26 years ago as an accounting intern and, today, leads more than 430 members.

The event highlighted how strength, sensitivity and perseverance are qualities that differentiate the work driven by the union of women in achieving good results. Maria Helena dos Santos, president of the Floriculturists Cooperative of the State of Paraíba (Cofep), told how she managed to overcome prejudice to increase the production of chrysanthemums, roses and gerberas. “First, we had to convince husbands to let their wives leave the house to work. We try to value the participation of wives and daughters as a way of increasing family income,” she stated. Afterwards, Maria Helena endeavored to show that growing flowers is also an activity that can be carried out by both sexes. “They thought flowers were for women and refused to go to the field with them,” she explained. Today, Cofep, which has been in existence for 19 years, has 28 members, 6 men and 22 women. “Production only increases”, she celebrates.

Agro+Woman Launch - The International Seminar on Gender and Cooperativism marked the launch of the Agro+Mulher Plan by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (Mapa). “It is a program that gives an official character to women’s empowerment”, stated the minister of the ministry, Blairo Maggi. The field is still considered the main access to the job market. For the president of the OCB System, Márcio Lopes de Freitas, the values ​​of cooperativism represent an opportunity for equality and the insertion of women in various productive activities. “The degree of professionalization of our movement is largely due to the competent presence of cooperative members and managers who are in charge of various businesses,” he stated. He also highlights female participation in other areas of cooperativism.

The president of the International Cooperative Alliance for the Americas (ACI Americas), Graciela Fernandez, commented on the importance of public policies aimed at reducing inequalities in relation to women. “We are fully convinced that with the United Nations 2030 agenda we will work to promote initiatives to improve these conditions together with representatives of civil society, cooperativism and other institutions linked to family farming in several countries,” she stated. Gender equality is included in the fifth principle of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

In addition to representatives from Brazilian cooperatives and international institutions linked to the sector, around 100 people participated in the event. The opening session was also attended by the national secretary of women's policies at the Ministry of Human Rights, Andrezza Collato; the head of the European Union in Brazil, Thierry Dudermel; and the secretary of social mobility, rural producers and cooperatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, José Dória.