VNFU-508671-Farmers mobilizing

General

The programme will empower precarious workers in the highly informal agri-food sector - mostly micro, small and medium enterprises - in 3 ASEAN member-states (Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam) with the aim of addressing their rights, needs and vulnerabilities through the promotion of three pillars of the JSF Decent Work: labour rights at work, social protection and social dialogue for all. Climate change impacts, economic insecurity and occupational safety and health of these workers will be addressed by more adequate and shock-responsive social protection measures. Labour law enforcement will be enhanced to upgrade their livelihoods. In this programme, Vietnam Farmers' Union (VNFU) will take major responsibility for components relating to mobilizing and capacity building for female farmers and informal workers so that they can improve accessibility to decent work and gender-responsive social protection. VNFU will also work with relevant civil society organizations, local authorities, and experts to better support these farmers in addressing theirneeds and demands in multi-stakeholders platforms, at both local and national level. Project goal: By 2026, 16,800 women farmers and workers in rice and shrimp value chain in Vietnam have access to adequate labourand social protection, contributing to gender equality and (shock) resilience. Specific Objective: By 2026, 16,800 female farmers and informal workers in rice and shrimp productionand processing in Mekong Delta are better organized in groups and havestrengthened capacity to support, claim and exercise their members' rights to gender-transformative and shock-responsive labour rights and social protection. The project will mobilize the existing structure of local mass organizations i.e., Farmer’s Union, Women's Union, to support and sustain the project initiatives in the future. The project will work closely with these mass organizations to organize female farmers and informal workers working in therice and shrimp production sector in groups/cooperatives. As a result, these farmer/worker groups will have organization and governance capacity enhanced. In addition, the project will support group members to improve awareness in the field of work safety/OSH, gender norms and stereotypes, gender equality, labour, and social policies/laws, and their rights to decent work. When it comes to increasing women's access to decent work, the project will enhance the capacity of female farmers and informal workers to improve bargaining powers and confidence. From that, they can discuss effectively with employers/buyers for a fair share of benefits and risks, as well as stronger network and ability to voice up to claim their participation and contribution to the local policy-making process, ultimately advancing the decent work agenda. The key interventions will focus more on two spheres of the ILO decent work framework, including extending social protection coverage for informal workers <(>&<)> female farmers and improving the quality of social dialogues for all.