Meet US
A Rural Women Movement
Our Sisters
Located in 11 countries across Southern and Eastern Africa
Lesotho
RWA Lesotho was founded in 2014 in one district, Mafeteng, and registered with the law office in 2015. This was after the National Chairperson of the Small Scale Farmers Forum of Lesotho went to a meeting in Dakar, Senegal and met with the Coordinator of RWA. In that meeting land tenure, climate change and seed policies were discussed and she was then invited to a RWA meeting in South Africa.
Madagascar
RWA Madagascar was fully established after our first General Assembly meeting in 2019. Madagascar as a new member of RWA has already implemented regional plans in the country. Implementation of RWA is done through FARM Madagascar (Femmes Au Action Rurale de Madagascar).
Malawi
The RWA in Malawi was officially launched in 2016, with the support of the National Small-holder Farmers Association of Malawi (NASFAM). However the impetus for launching was the Kilimanjaro Campaign in 2015, which mobilised some young women to reach ’the top of the mountain’. RWA in Malawi started as a response to a variety of issues and over the years we have included other issues of concern to rural women.
Mozambique
RWA Mozambique does not exist as a structure but as a network: three organizations (UNAC, AMUDEIA and FORUM MULHER) work together and take actions as RWA.
Namibia
NRWA is a membership based organisation existing in thirteen regions in the country. There are many supporting women in the periphery but these ones have not formally joined. A majority of the members are older, but we are hoping to start a database so we can identify how many youth members we have and how we can improve their involvement.
South Africa
Rural Women’s Assembly (RWA) – South Africa was launched in 2013 in the Western Cape Province on International Rural Women’s Day. A gathering of over 250 rural women – including farm workers, farm dwellers, small-scale farmers, small producers, the landless and women affected by mining – marked the launch of RWA-SA.
Swaziland
Three activists from Swaziland were invited to a women’s forum in Limpopo, South Africa, in 2009. These women were linked to the Socio Economic Rights Foundation of Swaziland, which are partners of the People's Dialogue. RWA Swaziland was officially founded on the 8th March 2011.
Tanzania
Tanzania joined the movement early in 2023 with members from Southern Highland Regions of Tanzania. Tanzania Rural Women Assembly (TRWA) operates through MIICO an NGO based in Mbeya working with smallholder farmers in the Southern Regions of Tanzania where MIICO supports the coordination of the movement activities and advisory role.
Zambia
RWA Zambia was founded in 2013, when rural women met at the South Africa Rural Women’s Assembly in Johannesburg. We were invited under the small-scale farmers forum as rural farmers. This was initially part of a People’s Dialogue programme. When we returned to Zambia, we started organising women under Zambia RWA.
Zimbabwe
ZIMSOFF, Zimbabwean Small Scale Farmers Union (ZFU) and Women and Land in Zimbabwe (WLZ) were active in RWA from the outset. It was after the COP 17 in Durban that mobilisation and building really got underway. They felt that their struggles could be fought through a safe platform that brought solidarity, empowerment and campaigns. Thus, RWA was launched in 2013, in Nyava in the Bindura District of Mashonaland Central.
Mauritius
The Center for Alternative Research and Studies (CARES), has been part of the Southern African RWA for many years and it created a Special Women’s Unit to further strengthen its participation in the RWA.