Economic Empowerment

Impact goal: Project participants and communities are economically empowered.

Digni supports work that facilitates the economic and social empowerment of people living in poverty, with a focus on access to technology, credit, financial services and markets; and decent work and income generating activities.8 projects ending in 2021 reported on economic empowerment. They covered areas such as informal/semi-formal loan and savings, income generating activities, agricultural development and livestock, food security, and small and medium-sized enterprises development. Many of the results were closely connected to environmental stewardship under sustainable agricultural production and animal husbandry with new climate smart methods.

The project activities were heavily geared towards women. There are anectodical but compelling evidence that the economic empowerment of women in the projects has led to a significant reduction in household conflicts and sexual and gender-based violence. The assumption is that stress levels are reduced when the household economy and food security situation improve.