Opportunity Knocks: Women Taking the Lead
As members of their cooperative, farmers have the right—and responsibility—to serve in committee and board roles. The co-ops often participate in peer network events within their own regions and even internationally. Often the children of members seek industry-related education; they can become staff such as quality technicians, agronomists, or work in finance or sales. But without intentionally welcoming girls and women, they rarely participate in these opportunities.
Alongside productivity and quality, gender equity became a key pillar of the development project at Rio y Valle. Currently, about 22% of the co-op’s members are women. The gender work began with a diagnostic assessment that identified areas for improvement. That analysis led to a gender policy, formation of a harassment prevention committee, a gender equity plan, and training workshops for both women and men.
Member Kattia Ramirez described her own evolution. “We learned about soft skills, and this helped us a lot to get involved, to express ourselves, to be able to get up and speak in front of people. It made a big difference because before I was a little more shy. I didn’t have much of a social network and I was a little embarrassed. Now I’m coming out of my shell; I have the ability to facilitate and convene a group.”
The initial step began with recognizing the invisible work of women in the banana supply chain. As framed by former board secretary Wilfredo Zapata, “It seemed like before, the work of the women wasn’t noticed. But if we look closely, to me it seems like women contribute more than men to the value supply chain of bananas. She’s the one who gets up early to make breakfast. She’s the one who takes care of getting her husband off to work in the field with what he needs. She’s at home doing the household duties. Then later she participates in the group activities of the co-op. When she gets back home, once again she keeps working, doing tasks she shares with her husband. Logically for me, it seems like a husband must get involved with the household duties, so that he can help to minimize the work a woman has at home.”
Cindy Cruz Pulache, agricultural technician, presents to the Equal Exchange delegation about the co-op’s biofactory producing solid and liquid fertilizers.
The most visible outcome has been seeing women in leadership positions. Through the gender plan and trainings, Rio y Valle created an expectation that women should participate in the project’s peer exchanges and should be elected to co-op committees. Marilú Saavedra became Vice President of the co-op’s Oversight Committee. About the gender equity sessions, Marilú pointed out “Not only has it stayed with me; in my community, I tell all the women so that they too can rise up and grow from what I have learned—they can also learn and take on new roles in the cooperative.”
Female leaders also carry out the co-op’s work in staff positions. Cindy Cruz Pulache is Rio y Valle’s first female agricultural technician and herself a grower member. Part of her training included a peer visit to AsoGuabo, a banana cooperative in Ecuador who is also an Equal Exchange trading partner. That travel and programming was supported through the development project funds managed by Equal Exchange. At first, Cindy encountered resistance from old-fashioned members who weren’t used to accepting farming guidance from a woman. However, over time Cindy has become a respected and even favored advisor; some members ask specifically for her!
The themes of power dynamics, fostering grower-owners, and activating female leaders wrap together to illustrate that purchasing from a dynamic cooperative sustains a supply chain that is constructive rather than destructive. Members of the co-op determine for themselves what is most important and engage to carry out that vision. In contrast, what opportunities do youth living on or near plantations see modeled for themselves?
Merely cooperating upsets the status quo. What’s more, these cooperatives assume that change is possible—and they prove it. Thank you for your own part in demonstrating that Not All Bananas Are Created Equal.
