Originally published on Edie.net
Drawing on a decade of insights from the Women for Change program, Mars Global’s senior director of cocoa sustainability Nupur Parikh reflects on what can happen when women’s roles in the cocoa industry are fully recognized and supported.
Easter is right around the corner, and millions of families around the world are coming together to celebrate, connect and savour the simple joy that chocolate brings.
The story of that chocolate, however, doesn’t begin in the supermarket aisle or in a basket. It begins on a cocoa farm, where thousands of farmers in cocoa supply chains work to cultivate the cocoa that finds its way into the chocolate we all enjoy. Yet within many cocoa‑farming communities, women’s contributions are often undervalued or invisible.
The reality on the ground, however, is that women play central roles in cocoa-growing communities, like farming, family well-being and community life. In fact, studies have shown that women participate in all stages of cocoa production. Despite this deep involvement, gender norms and power relations perpetuate a system where their work is less visible and often undervalued. This creates barriers to their success and limits the resilience of the entire sector.
Mars wanted to help women overcome these barriers. Ten years ago, they launched Women for Change in partnership with CARE. Through Women for Change, Mars and CARE aim to economically empower female cocoa farmers and women living in cocoa-farming communities in Côte d’Ivoire — helping them save and invest, build and grow businesses, shift their confidence and agency within their households and communities, and harness the power of collective action.
