Message of the International Co-operative Alliance

88th ICA International Co-operative Day 16th UN International Day of Cooperatives 3 July 2010

“Co-operative Enterprise Empowers Women”

All over the world women are choosing the co-operative form of enterprise to respond to their economic and social needs. Whether it is to reach their entrepreneurial aspirations, to access products and services that they want and need, or to be part of business that has ethical values and principles and provides income-generating opportunities, women are finding that cooperatives are attractive options.

Co-operatives are democratic-ally owned and governed enterprises guided by the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. They put people at the heart of their activities and allow members through democratic decision-making set out how they reach their economic, social and cultural aspiration.

For women, co-operatives have a key role to play as they are able to respond to both women's practical and strategic needs. Whether it be through women only co-operatives or co-operatives made up of women and men, they offer an effective organisational means for women members and employees to raise their living standards by accessing decent work opportunities, savings and credit facilities, health, housing and social services, and education and training. Co-operatives also offer women opportunities for participation in and influence over economic activities. Women gain self-reliance and self-esteem through this participation. Co-operatives also contribute to the improvement of the economic, social and cultural situation of women in other ways including promoting equality and changing institutional biases.

For women entrepreneurs, co-operatives are a particularly attractive form of enterprise. By pooling their capital, women are able to engage in income-generating activities and organise their work in a flexible way that respects the multiple roles that women may have in society. From Burkina Faso, India, Japan, Honduras to the United States, women share similar co-operative experiences – their women-only co-operatives have allowed women to gain self-confidence, bear professional responsibilities, valorise their skills and improve their livelihoods by deriving income for their work and accessing a wide range of services.

Women however, are also finding satisfaction in co-operatives where both women and men participate. As members and employees, women are discovering enterprises that strive to build mutual respect and equal opportunity. However, it must be said that more needs to be done to achieve gender equality. Co-operatives are a reflection of their members and the society in which they operate, and so still mirror the predominant societal and cultural biases. They are nonetheless responding to the challenge of making changes in organisational culture, working methods, education and training opportunities to make women’s empowerment a reality.