Organizing a stronger voice
Many women producers initially operated through small, isolated groups and cooperatives with limited influence beyond their local communities. To strengthen their collective voice, the RECLAIM programme supported their mobilization, provided legal guidance for formalization and helped establish governance structures that enabled them to unite under a single national body.
This led to the creation of the National Platform of Women Oil Palm Producers, a structured national organization that now represents more than 500 women producers across Côte d’Ivoire.
To strengthen their ability to engage with policymakers and industry stakeholders, women leaders received training in public speaking, policy advocacy, leadership and regulatory frameworks.
“Before, our voices weren’t heard and decisions were made for us,” Tibé Charlottes, chairperson of the National Platform of Women Oil Palm Producers, recalls.
From participation to influence
Armed with new advocacy skills, Tibé and her peers have successfully engaged in multi-stakeholder dialogues to influence policy decisions regarding women’s land rights, land access, gender inclusion, farm-gate pricing and the distribution of agricultural inputs. Their growing presence ensures that the priorities and challenges faced by women smallholder producers are reflected in national sector policies.
“Today, our platform holds an official seat, successfully representing women’s voices and interests directly with regulatory authorities and in interprofessional dialogues,” she adds.
“Decisions are no longer made for us; they are made with us,” Tibé Charlotte emphasizes.
Financial independence as a catalyst for leadership
For Solidaridad, strengthening women’s leadership goes hand in hand with strengthening their economic resilience. The programme introduced the Village Savings and Loans Associations, known in French as Associations Villageoises d’Épargne et de Crédit, to build an economic foundation for the women.
These self-managed groups enable members to pool their savings together and provide each other with small, low-interest loans for investment in their farms and businesses. Beyond providing financial services, the model creates opportunities for entrepreneurship, encourages reinvestment within communities and helps women build the economic independence needed to sustain their leadership roles.
For Diomandé Affouchiatta, head of the Socopahld Cooperative, financial empowerment is central to women’s influence.
“Financial independence is the driving force behind our credibility. A woman who manages her own income gains authority within her community and can carry messages of change with greater impact.”
A new governance model
“For Solidaridad, the sustainability of the oil palm sector goes far beyond adopting good agricultural practices; it fundamentally relies on inclusive governance. When we empower women to step into decision-making circles, the entire community gains in stability, resilience and equity”, Zacharie Thonon, Programme Manager at Solidaridad.
By supporting the creation of the National Platform of Women Oil Palm Producers, the RECLAIM Sustainability! programme helped transform women producers from dispersed smallholder groups into organized institutional actors capable of influencing sector-wide decisions.
Funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the RECLAIM Sustainability! programme directly trained 265 women producers on leadership, advocacy and good governance, helping to create a generation of women leaders who are ready to transform the Ivorian oil palm sector.