Women’s Empowerment for Resilient Rural Areas (WE4R) is a global project supporting rural women’s rights, access to resources and representation in sustainable land management. Led by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), it combines country-level work in Kenya, Madagascar and Mali with international policy engagement.
Project at a glance
- Status: Active; January 1, 2024–December 31, 2028.
- Countries: Kenya, Madagascar and Mali; global policy engagement.
- Commissioning ministry: BMZ; implementer: GIZ.
- Financing: GIZ reports a €15.7 million commitment for the implementation phase and €5 million in EU cofinancing. These figures should not be added together without clarification of their relationship.
- Project identifier: GIZ 2023.0119.0.
What the project does
Women in rural areas often face unequal rights to land, limited access to resources and exclusion from decisions that affect the landscapes on which their livelihoods depend. WE4R addresses these barriers alongside soil degradation, biodiversity loss and climate change. Its work supports women’s ability to shape the economic and ecological management of land and to participate in planning and policy.
GIZ works with national ministries, civil society organizations and the secretariats of the three Rio conventions on climate change, biodiversity and desertification. The project supports people and organizations advocating for women’s rights, resources and representation, including through civil society-led measures and networks. Lessons from the three partner countries inform national and international dialogue. The project’s published materials include country fact sheets and an impact-pathways toolkit.
Sources and further information
- GIZ: WE4R project overview, country fact sheets and toolkit
- GIZ project data: project number, status and financial commitments
Project information updated October 2026.