Efforts have begun towards the full revitalization of SUNROP, the local chapter of the Caribbean Network of Rural Women Producers (CANROP,) to fill the leadership void for rural women producers in Suriname.
Paramaribo, September 22, 2016 (IICA). Groups of rural women producers from various rural communities in Suriname, representing a total membership of 173 rural women producers engaged in the production and marketing of agricultural crops, handicraft, traditional garments and jewelry, agro-processing, and ornamental plants, met recently under the auspices of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).
The objective of the meeting was to select seven executive members from among the participants to manage the activities of the Suriname Network of Rural Woman Producers (SUNROP) for the next six months, after which a new formal executive will be elected.
The aim for the rural women producers at this moment is the establishment of a fully functional and viable cooperative to serve the needs of rural women producers, as well as to lobby government and other public sector entities, for policies and programs, which can promote the economic empowerment of rural women in Suriname.
According to Agnes Leewani, chairperson of the Agro-Cooperative Wooko Makendi Ovia Olo (a rural women’s group which specializes in the production and processing of cassava), “we as rural women understand the importance of coming together to learn from each other experiences in order to improve what we do for a living.”
The newly elected Chairperson of SUNROP, Tania Lieuw Asjoe, who is the Chairperson of the Agro-Cooperative, Wi Uma Fu Sranang, a rural women’s group which manufactures and sells a well-known and widely-sold baby formula made from cassava, indicated that “the only way for rural women like us to penetrate local and exports markets is for us to improve the quality and standards of our products.
“Our history has shown that we, working as individual groups in our remote communities cannot do it on our own, and this is why we need to organize ourselves. We are very grateful for the support of IICA in achieving this milestone here today”, she said.
The IICA Representative in Suriname, Curt Delice, emphasized the need for poor rural folk to seek collective action for their development.
Rural women producers need more than just the willingness to work together. They need the correct mindset, the correct approaches, and very importantly, and this is something that many times is overlooked, they need the right structure. SUNROP is a mechanism which can provide rural women producers of Suriname with a suitable framework to pool their efforts and resources, and as a result, maximize potential benefits for themselves, their households and their communities”, said Delice.
A networking activity is scheduled in October 2016 for all members of the seven groups represented by SUNROP.
More information: curt.delice@iica.int
