Overview
FIDA connects smallholder farmers, rural women and youth to skills, enterprises and markets so that they can earn more from what they produce.
The challenge
[TO BE PROVIDED BY FIDA] Add the context and need in rural Pakistan that this thematic area responds to (100 to 150 words, with sources).
Our approach
Women Open Schools teach tailoring, food processing and small enterprise management; projects with donors and public partners build stronger farmer organisations, value chains and access to finance, technology and markets.
Key interventions
- Enterprise skills for women: tailoring, food processing and small enterprise management
- Evaluation of gender-inclusive market value chains and crops with growth potential (CARE International Pakistan, 2023)
- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rural Economic Transformation Project, KP-RETP (IFAD, 2024 to 2029)
- Skill development for rural women in non-traditional high-value crops and food processing (Zakat Foundation of America, 2025 to 2026)
- Stronger farmer organisations and cooperatives
Results in numbers
- 3,365Youth equipped with technical and vocational skills
- 507Women Open Schools established
- 12,700Women and youth graduated (WOS)
- 35New food products developed
Related projects
Empowering Rural Women through Skill Development in Non-Traditional High-Value Crop Cultivation and Food Processing
- Donor
- Zakat Foundation of America
- Period
- Feb 2025 – Jan 2026
- Budget
- PKR 9,734,500
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rural Economic Transformation Project (KP-RETP)
- Donor
- IFAD
- Period
- Oct 2024 – Apr 2029
- Budget
- PKR 129,896,956
Evaluating the Viability of Gender-Inclusive Market Value Chains and Crops with Growth Potential
- Donor
- CARE International Pakistan
- Period
- Jul 2023 – Oct 2023
- Budget
- PKR 3,492,000
Women and Youth Economic and Social Empowerment through Green Enterprises and Organic Practices
- Donor
- Plan International Pakistan
- Period
- Jul 2017 – Jun 2018
- Budget
- PKR 3,963,800
Equip Rural Community with Modern Technical, Vocational and Farming Skills for Better Household Economy
- Donor
- Plan International Pakistan
- Period
- Jul 2013 – Jun 2014
- Budget
- PKR 3,751,000
Baseline Study for Plan Milk Value Chain Project
- Donor
- Plan International Pakistan
- Period
- Apr 2010 – May 2010
- Budget
- PKR 416,000
Models used
Women Open School (WOS) and Farmer Field School (FFS).
Partners and donors
Donors and partners for individual projects are listed on each project page.
[TO BE PROVIDED BY FIDA] Key partners for Market Empowerment (names and one line on each role).
SDG alignment
- SDG 5: Gender equality
- SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth
- SDG 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure
[TO BE PROVIDED BY FIDA] Indicative SDG alignment drafted for review. FIDA to confirm the goals and targets it reports against.
Stories from the field
[TO BE PROVIDED BY FIDA] Add success stories (150-200 words and one photo each) under Stories. A story appears only after informed consent is ticked.
Resources and downloads
[TO BE PROVIDED BY FIDA] Add reports and publications under Publications (type, year, PDF file, cover image).
Work with us on Market Empowerment
FIDA welcomes partnerships with donors, government departments, research institutions and civil society.