Today, more than 43% of Muungano Cooperative members are women — approximately 1,800 active women coffee growers across the 16 sectors of the Kalehe territory.
The Women's Programme, launched in 2016 with the support of OXFAM Belgium, rests on three pillars:
- Separate marketing: coffee lots produced and harvested by women are tracked and sold separately, under the identity "Muungano Women's Cuvée".
- Special premium: a premium of 20 cents per pound (cts/lb) is added above the standard Fairtrade price for each kilo sold in this lot.
- Autonomous management: the Muungano Women's Committee collectively decides how this premium is used — scholarships, maternal healthcare, GALS training.
