Gender equality and women’s empowerment stand alone as a goal but are also integral to all dimensions of inclusive and sustainable development. Cooperatives contribute to achieving women’s empowerment by increasing access to employment and work, enabling their engagement in economic democracy and agency and boosting leadership and management experience.

CEMRE is a women’s cooperative with members from among host community and refugee women who earn a living by producing jewelry, household textiles, clothing and other accessories. Their membership in the cooperative has allowed them to receive training in production skills and gain learning and experience in management, marketing and business development.
© CEMRE Sosyal Kalkınma Kooperatifi (CEMRE Cooperative of Social Development) - Refugee and local women designing jewelries

The Cooperativa de Ahorro Ecuador supports young women and men entrepreneurs and small business owners in production of sweets, such as tamarind and guava candy. It also provides its members with financial education and training.
© Cooperativa de Ahorro y Crédito Riobamba Ltda Ecuador - Two women working in a sweets production facility

Al Aqrabaniah Women Society produces fresh vegetables including tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, and zucchini. These vegetables are produced by the Palestinian women farmers in an ecological manner, free of chemicals and pesticides. The ESDC provides training to the cooperative members including in harvesting water for irrigation.
© Economic and Social Development Center of Palestine (ESDC) – Two women harvesting snake cucumbers in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt)

In Indian dairy industry, women do majority of the work around milk cattle – collecting fodder, cleaning the stables, taking care of the animals, and milking them. Yet most of the dairy cooperatives in India have only men as members and decision-makers. Rural women’s participation in dairy cooperatives, as members and leaders, can ensure that their extensive work in dairy industry is recognized.
© National Dairy Development Board - Proud women dairy cooperative members in rural India

Formation of women’s self-help groups is a strategy for empowering women and improving their incomes and livelihoods through a range of strategies including access to financial services, capacity building and establishing market linkage to enhance their livelihoods and incomes. Women self-help group members in the state of Uttarakhand, India sustain their livelihoods through handloom weaving and sheep rearing.
© Dr. Navin Anand, Independent Consultant - Two women and a child from a SHG in Uttarakhand, India

Megha Cooperative is an Agriculture Producers’ Cooperative of more than a thousand indigenous women farmers in southern Gujarat, India. The SEWA Cooperative Federation provides its members with livelihood support, healthcare, childcare, capacity building, and financial services.
© SEWA Cooperative Federation – A woman member of Megha Cooperative during rice harvest.