Women leading rural finance
How a national network of women farmers is scaling up village savings and loan associations in Madagascar.
A village savings and loans meeting with National Platform for Women, Sustainable Development and Food Security members (Photo: PNFDDSA)
In the Analamanga and Sofia regions of Madagascar, limited access to formal financial services constrains rural women and young farmers. Without structured savings mechanisms or affordable credit, many households struggle to invest in agriculture or small businesses.
With Forest and Farm Facility (FFF) support, the National Platform for Women, Sustainable Development and Food Security (Plateforme Nationale Femme, Développement Durable et Sécurité Alimentaire, PNFDDSA) introduced a community-based financial inclusion model through village savings and loan associations (VSLAs).
PNFDDSA is a national network that mobilises women’s organisations to promote gender equality, sustainable development and food security. It brings together rural women’s groups and producer organisations to strengthen their economic roles and improve livelihoods.
Forest and Farm Facility activities
FFF contributed by training local leaders in VSLA methodologies and financial governance, providing management tools, facilitating knowledge-sharing workshops and linking groups with microfinance institutions such as ACEP Madagascar and Fihariana.
This structured support enabled transparent fund management, reliable savings rotation and stronger links to formal financial services.
The groups were trained to operate through participatory and transparent governance systems, improving accountability and trust. About 70% of members are women, many of whom are in leadership roles, while young people contribute as facilitators and entrepreneurs.
Continued technical follow-up and knowledge exchange across associations supports the replication of effective practices.
Significance of impact
From 2023-25, PNFDDSA established and strengthened around 60 producer associations with a total of 610 members, mainly rural women and young farmers. Through VSLAs, members accessed savings and small loans to invest in market gardening, livestock and nurseries.
They also received training in financial management, entrepreneurship, nutrition and agrifood processing, alongside improved access to agricultural inputs such as seeds and fertilisers.
Conclusion
With this support, many households in the Analamanga and Sofia regions have been able to diversify their income sources and strengthen their financial standing through locally managed and controlled systems.
Importantly, women and young people were able to move from being excluded from financial services to become active managers of community-based financial structures, embedding lasting financial capacity within their local economies.
Further reading
Gender-focused economic models of climate resilience in Madagascar, Ambinintsoa Noasilalaonomenjanahary, Voahangy Ramaromisa (2020), project report