For most women in South India, rearing local breeds is hassle free, add-on and a part-time activity that can be combined with other income generating activities.

Recent evidence from India suggests that rearing indigenous poultry rather than focusing on commercial breeds that give a higher yield can significantly contribute to the self-sufficiency and cultural wealth of rural communities

In the face of persistent rural poverty, an incomplete agrarian transition, the predominance of small and marginal farms and a growing feminisation of agriculture, this paper argues for a new institutional approach to poverty reduction, agricultural revival and social empowerment.

The fonio-husking machine, invented by Rolex Laureate and mechanical engineer Sanoussi Diakite, is helping prevent a delicious, West African cereal from disappearing. His machine is liberating villagers, especially women, from the traditional, labour-intensive process of preparing fonio by hand.

One Indian woman's enduring commitment to improving the living standards of the rural communities of Kutch, a remote and poor region in India;s far north-west, has fundamentally transformed the lives of thousands of women.