EFOR project – “Empowerment of Women and Rural Organisations in Tunisia”

The EFOR project is based on three main lines of action, with each targeting a different level to maximise the overall impact of the project.

At the micro level: awareness-raising, social norms and community engagement

This first line of action aims to deconstruct the gender stereotypes that restrict women’s opportunities in rural areas. It includes a participatory assessment to identify local constraints, followed by the development of awareness-raising activities in partnership with local civil society organisations. 

These activities to create safe spaces for socialisation and awareness-raising campaigns aim to change perceptions about women in rural areas, and integrate them more in local governance, while enhancing their status within communities.

At the meso level: Promotion of ecological, social and inclusive agriculture for women

This second line of action aims to strengthen women’s professional agricultural organisations by transforming them into sustainable income-generating structures. 

In partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries, a comprehensive assessment is identifying the needs for training, equipment and organisational strengthening, with a focus on adaptation to climate change. 

The project is providing ongoing support for the transition towards resilient farming practices and to facilitate access to local, national and international markets.

At the macro level: Capitalisation, public policies and institution building

The third line of action focuses on institution building and gender mainstreaming in agricultural development policies. 

It aims to identify and meet the capacity building needs of the partner ministries on the issues of gender, climate change, monitoring-evaluation and leadership, while supporting the implementation of gender-responsive public policies.

The Expertise France project team, in collaboration with the two partner ministries, is implementing the project based on a participatory and local approach, with a focus on gender mainstreaming. 

This approach involves close coordination between the various project activities, capacity building for local and national stakeholders, and efforts to influence public policies to ensure lasting change. 

The project is supporting recognised women’s agricultural groups that have a legal status. 

The project also targets: 

• Women leaders: members of these groups, some of them young university graduates. They have been identified as a driving force of the project. Many of them face challenges (lack of proficiency in certain activities, lack of expertise in certain areas, opposition) which can potentially sap their energy and ability both to develop economic activities and bring about social change
• Female members of women’s groups: they are supported as group members, farmers, household members and community members in the project area. It should be noted that in Béja, some groups are mainly (but not exclusively) women’s groups: it is advisable for men to be able to participate in some of the activities (in particular the awareness-raising activities)
• The farms on which these women work, and the members of their households
• The communities (villages, neighbourhoods) in which the groups are based

Under the project, Expertise France is also collaborating with civil society organisations working on equality issues in Tunisia.