Impact of Women's Agricultural Cooperatives on the Development of Local Communities: Case of Uíge Municipality

Abstract

This article investigates the impact of women's agricultural cooperatives in the Uíge province of Angola, highlighting their role in empowering women and promoting community development. Although agriculture is a vital economic activity in the region, women face significant challenges, such as marginalization in accessing resources and opportunities. Cooperatives emerge as a promising strategy to mitigate these inequalities. The research, which adopted a mixed-methods approach, revealed that 89% of participants believe that their involvement in cooperatives has increased their autonomy. Demographic data show that the majority of participants are women over 50 years old with low educational levels, indicating a need for training programs. The main perceived benefits include community strengthening and access to resources, while the most significant challenges are the lack of financial resources and limited market access. Participants' suggestions for improving cooperative operations include implementing more accessible credit policies and ensuring regular supply of agricultural inputs. The study concludes that, despite the challenges, cooperatives have significant transformative potential and that formulating appropriate public policies can maximize their impact on poverty reduction and gender equality promotion. Therefore, continuous support for these initiatives is crucial to ensure sustainable benefits for the entire community.