Women farmers to gain from insurance plan
Women in the agricultural space are set to benefit from a new insurance plan that will cushion them from effects of climate change. Through a project dubbed Gender-sensitive Agricultural Index-based Insurance (GAIINS), the initiative will promote gender-sensitive insurance products for farmers in Bungoma, Embu, Makueni, Uasin Gishu and Nakuru counties.
It aims to empower and increase the capacity of women farmers in the five counties to be resilient to climate shocks through uptake of index-based insurance, and simultaneously build the capacity of insurers to institutionalise gender transformative approaches to index-based insurance products. In the arrangement, GAIINS will build on the crop and livestock insurance products the government and partners have initiated to cushion farmers from climate related risks.
Douglas Kangi, Director of Crops Management in Agriculture ministry said the subsidised crops and livestock insurance that the government introduced in 2015 to mitigate challenges of climate change and alleviate small holder farmers’ vulnerability will form a base for reference.
He said the devastating shocks and stresses push farmers and pastoralists into poverty and destitution, with smallholder farmers being the most vulnerable.
“Since its introduction, over 650,000 farmers in 39 counties have benefited from the subsidised crops and livestock insurance programmes,” stated Kangi.
The project, he said will work with government, regulatory authorities, insurance actors, farmer organisations, women groups, financial and enabling partners, and farmers, to identify opportunities with significant potential to create index-based insurance products that address gender priorities in the five counties.
