CALL FOR PROPOSALS: OPEN INNOVATION CHALLENGE

SOMALIA WOMEN’S MARKET ACCESS INNOVATION CHALLENGE

Women in rural Somalia play a crucial role in agriculture but face significant barriers to market access due to inadequate infrastructure, limited financial resources, limited access to agricultural land, and systemic challenges and cultural constraints. These challenges restrict their economic participation, limiting opportunities for women-led agribusinesses to scale and thrive. Additionally, women entrepreneurs struggle with access to financing, business development services, and digital financial tools, further widening the gender gap in economic empowerment.

To address these challenges, the Rural Livelihoods Resilience Programme (RLRP), implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation (MoAI) with support from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), is committed to strengthening women’s economic participation through entrepreneurship, financial inclusion, and innovative solutions. This includes improving access to credit, enhancing market linkages, and providing capacity-building initiatives to equip women with the skills needed to grow their businesses and adapt to market demands. The program also leverages digital financial services to increase financial accessibility for women, even those without internet access, while fostering community engagement and policy advocacy to create an inclusive economic environment.

The Center for Innovation and Agropreneurship Development (CIAD), under the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation (MoAI), in collaboration with RLRP, is launching this Open Innovation Challenge. The goal is to identify, support, and scale innovative market access solutions that empower women agripreneurs.