Project Title: Female Empowerment Through Landownership in Kenya’s Coffee Industry
Client: Fairtrade Africa + Fairtrade International
Students: Jia Suwatanapornchai, Kaylie Carr, Layla Haddad, Sherry Madahzad
Faculty Lead: Kristen Hopewell
Fieldwork Location: Kenya
Year: 2024-25
About the Project: This project aims to address gender inequality and increase female participation in Kenyan land title ownership in the coffee-growing industry. Our project will focus on understanding the root causes of barriers preventing female land title ownership, which may include but are not limited to gender norms, cultural perspectives, laws, deeply rooted policies, customary practices, and demographic factors. We are looking to evaluate access to female land ownership at Fairtrade farms and to inform Fairtrade’s advocacy efforts and develop strategies to achieve inclusive policy changes that will enhance the lives of Kenyan female coffee farmers.