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Women and Cocoa Communities Initiative (IFCC)

Women and Cocoa Communities Initiative

Cooperative Development Organisation

SOCODEVI – Société de coopération pour le développement international

Implementing Partners and Organisations

Fondation Paul Gérin-Lajoie (FPGL)
7 cocoa/chocolate private companies
National Federation of Women Coffee-Cocoa Producers (FNFPCC)
Ministry of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Food Crop Production (MEMINADERPV)
National Agency for Rural Development Support (ANADER)
Ministry of National Education and Literacy (MENA)
Ministry of Women, Family and Children (MFFE)
World Cocoa Foundation

Period of Implementation

March 2022 - March 2027

Geographic scope

Africa: Côte d'Ivoire

Cities: Eastern region (Abengourou) and Centre-Western region (Daloa)

Budget

$ 9,260,265
€ 8 819 300

Donor(s)

Bilateral Aid: Global Affairs Canada (GAC)

Others: private cocoa and chocolate companies

Sector(s)

Agroforestry, Climate & Environment, Education

Type of Activity

Governance and Organizational Strengthening, Technical Assistance & Advisory, Training & Capacity Building

Summary

Implemented by the consortium formed by Socodevi and Fondation Paul Gérin-Lajoie over a five-year period, the ‘’Initiative femmes et communautés cacaoyères’’ (IFCC) aims to sustainably improve living conditions in 62 cocoa-growing communities in eastern and centre-western Côte d’Ivoire, especially for women and girls aged 10 to 25. Funded by the Government of Canada and responsible private-sector investments from cocoa and chocolate companies, the project uses an integrated, multisectoral approach that combines socioeconomic empowerment, education, and stronger community resilience to climate change. During 2025–2026, the project consolidated major gains, including stronger women’s participation in household economic decision-making, improved access to economic and productive resources for women and girls, and broader uptake of gender-responsive and climate-adapted services through cooperatives, VSLA groups, and the FNFPCC.

Project Objectives

To improve living conditions in targeted rural cocoa-growing communities in Côte d’Ivoire, particularly for women and girls, by strengthening socioeconomic empowerment, access to education and literacy, inclusive governance within cooperatives and women’s organisations, and community resilience to climate and socioeconomic shocks.

Website

https://socodevi.org/en/

Impact on SDGs

SDG1 - No Poverty
SDG4 - Quality Education
SDG5 - Gender Equality
SDG8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth
SDG13 - Climate Action

Main Indicators

Key indicators include
the percentage of households in which women participate in economic decisions;
the percentage of households that support women’s and girls’ access to economic and productive resources;
the Socodevi Women’s Empowerment Index;
the number of member organisations of the FNFPCC using services adapted to members’ needs and climate change;
and the number of public stakeholder actions supporting gender equality and climate resilience in cocoa-growing communities.

Impact Measurement

As of 2025–2026, 77% of surveyed households report women’s participation in economic decisions, compared with 43.04% at baseline. The share of households supporting women’s and girls’ access to economic and productive resources rose from 13.24% to 59.65%. The SOCODEVI Women’s Empowerment Index increased from 0.430 at baseline to 0.543. Access to economic and productive resources reached 68.90% among women surveyed and 42.29% among girls surveyed, while 83.68% of women and 65.34% of girls reported being able to control those resources. In addition, 87.13% of women and 85.45% of girls felt able to make decisions in support of their economic advancement and continued education.

Direct beneficiaries

Organisations: 30

Individuals: 148158

Local stakeholders

Small and medium size cocoa producers cooperatives

Key Tags

Education, Entrepreneurship, Environment