Female smallholder rice farmers face many challenges. Women in rural areas are the main producers in agriculture, but they do not benefit from what they produce due to traditional values that keep women from fully taking part in decision making, controlling and accessing finance and resources. Empowerment of Women Farmers in the Rice Value Chain is a 3 year Balancing Benefits project targeting 15,000 female smallholder rice farmers in four regions in Tanzania.

The project works with men and women equally to recognise and change current gender dynamics. We strengthen existing women producer groups to improve participants' self-organisation. We stimulate market demand for quality rice and cooperate with local mills to create commitments to purchase and process an increased crop volumes. Women control income accruing from paddy sales through village-based contact farming.

To date, we have worked in 100 villages in six districts, and 397 women producer groups, reaching 10,500 people, of which 6500 are women and 4000 are men. The project team facilitated 58 members of Women Producer Groups to present their new rice brand - Tanzania Mamaa Rice - during the Nane Nane Festival which takes place each year in August. Many of these farmers had never been to such a festival and they were surprised at the level of demand for their rice. The project team has started to link women producre groups to 16 key rice processing enterprises in the project districts.