Women’s Leadership and Economic Empowerment in Peru’s Coffee Sector

Empowering women is one of the most effective ways to fight poverty. However, in agricultural supply chains like coffee, women face significant cultural and structural barriers. They often lack access to critical resources such as land, finance, and education—key tools for participating fully in the economy and contributing to farm productivity.

Drawing from  TechnoServe’s experience implementing the Coffee Alliance for Excellence (CAFE) and Mujeres CAFE   programs this case study explores a systematic approach to integrating women into the coffee value chain. The most important focus has been increasing incomes, building agency and leadership skills, and challenging cultural norms that restricted men’s and women’s roles in their economic success. This approach operates across several dimensions: economic opportunity, leadership and agency, norms and attitudes, and the broader enabling environment. By addressing these areas, the synergy between the two programs resulted in a transformative shift in women’s inclusion and participation in Peru’s coffee sector.