International Training Workshop: ‘ Women Leadership in Organisations in Rural Areas’ from 7 to 17 March 2023

Five "WoFaAK- women" from our project took part in this last exposure seminar of the GIZ International Training Centre in Feldafing in cooperation with the House of Bavarian Agriculture in Herrsching. 

Women in leadership positions are still a minority worldwide. The social structures either do not allow it - or they make it very difficult for women to take on leadership positions.
Leading and developing an organisation requires specific competences for interacting with the members of the organisation, as well as the ability to collaborate and build and use networks. 
However, women are often not sufficiently qualified for this, have less confidence to apply for a leadership position or to be seen as a suitable candidate. This places a great burden on them and can lead to women rejecting a leadership position offered to them.

Objectives of the seminar

In view of these challenges, the participants were to acquire theoretical knowledge and practical experience to better perform their leadership role in their association, company or department and to start networking with each other.

21 women attended the workshop. They came from Tunisia, Mali, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Nigeria, Cameroon and Malawi.

The participants from Kenya: from left: Beatrice Wafhuko, Mary Kibui, Ann Wambura, Angelika Eberl, Safia Kinoti, Prexides Wanyama.

How did our five Kenyan participants experience the trip and the seminar? 
We have summarised their answers below.

You certainly had your own idea about Germany. Was your image of Germany confirmed?  
My own idea of Germany was quite different from what I found. There is more self-reliance than I thought, when I see that the farmers here do the work themselves and run their farms as family businesses. and run their farms as family businesses. Here, women are better protected and supported in their organisations by the government and the community.

My ideas have been confirmed that Germany is a first world country, a beautiful country with hospitable and hardworking people, a country with high milk production and dairy industry, a country that is committed and helps others, for example by providing leadership training to African women, and a country where women are involved in leadership at all levels in their organisations.

What do you find really good here?
The good thing about Germany is that they have really good machines that reduce production costs. Unlike us in Kenya, the network within the farmers' association is super, they have a very good working system within their association organisation.

I have noticed that people here are organised, committed and hardworking. Farmers, stock enough feed for their animals for the winter. Farming families who independently manage their farm from generation to generation. I visited the farm of Maria's family: she and her husband have handed over the farm and thus the responsibility for 50 dairy cows to their son and daughter-in-law.

What I found good and what I liked most is the time management. When they say 10 o'clock in the morning, they really mean it - it's not like that with us.

I liked the members, how they are committed to their association, the political goodwill of the government, the transparency that exists and the strong and empowered women I met.

In Germany, organic farming is practised and trees are planted to protect the environment.

What were your expectations for this seminar?
To meet women from rural areas and learn more about the work they do there to improve the living standards of the population.

I expected to meet and exchange with women from other countries. I wanted to get comprehensive knowledge about "leadership" at different levels and in different cultures. To get new ideas through the exchange, make new friends and build a strong network with them.

What impressed you in particular?
What really impressed me was meeting Dr Marlen Wienert, Baywa Munich, who has management responsibility for the Agriculture and Agricultural Equipment business unit. She really encouraged me a lot to bring women into management positions.

I was impressed by all the learning units. By the involvement of women in leadership positions in their respective organisations. From the field trips and cultural visits and the management of family businesses from one generation to the next in terms of sustainability.

German women are very decisive, despite the many challenges as mothers and professionals.
Country women take home economics seriously - main meal is bread. I also like that they preserve vegetables without additives to improve nutrition. 

They don't hire labour on their farms, but work with family members.

You met many women during the seminar. Which of them do you remember most?
The women I will always remember are the great ladies from the Bavarian Farmers' Association, Ms Isabella Timm-Guri, Margit Fuchs and Dr Andrea Fuß.

All the women I met had an impact on my learning, both the participants, the facilitators, the leaders we visited in their organisations, the women we visited in their farms and Angelika who made me feel at home.

I met many women, I remember most Nola from Malawi and the three women from Nigeria.

You have now spent 11 days at an international workshop for women in leadership positions. How did you experience the participants from other countries? 
The eleven days were the best time in my life because I had the chance to meet women from different countries and different cultures. Every day I learned something from them, especially through the reports and activities from their respective countries. The participants were really good, we all formed a family within a few hours of arriving. I made new friends and built networks.

I experienced that women can be good leaders in other countries too. There were no big differences, but some of our cultures are different. 

We all have similar challenges, like balancing family responsibilities and office/leadership duties.
 
Was the workshop able to provide you with new knowledge? If yes - which? 
I enjoyed the workshop very much because I gained a lot of knowledge that will help me to make improvements in my farmer group so that we can produce more. 

Yes, I gained new knowledge, e.g. on self-reflection about myself in my organisation. I am also helped by the acronym VIBUZ for the most important qualities for people in leadership positions (V-responsible, I-informed, B-consultative, U-supportive, Z-reliable). 

I particularly remember the advantages of good networking and the path to decision-making, as well as methods in conflict management.

What do you take away from it? 
I got tips for good leadership and saw the results that come from good leadership behaviour.

What I took away from the workshop is that working in a team with other actors in my organisation leads to sustainability. 

I will implement the bylaws in our group. I will make decisions with other members in the future. I will empower women and youth in agriculture so that they can lead a better life. I will build a strong network with others.

What did you miss? What would you have liked to learn more about?
I missed meeting more farmers, staying longer with them on the farms to see how they manage their work. I wanted to learn more about their expertise and how they apply it, because I think there is a big difference between the way they farm and the way I farm.

I would have liked to learn more about climate change in relation to gender, I mean the impacts and opportunities on and for us women.

11 days was too short for the training.

I would like to learn more about organic farming and climate change.