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Asset Development
Human Rights Commissions on Women
Unita Blackwell Young Women's Leadership Institute
Hall of Fame Nominations

Lifting Women out of Poverty:

Asset Development for Southern Rural Black Women

Women living in the impoverished rural areas of Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi are poorly positioned to adapt to future economic challenges. Lack of economic opportunity, quality education and training, limited child care and persistent racial inequality remain huge obstacles. In a survey of rural black women, 80 percent identified unemployment as a problem. 

SRBWI’s approach to lifting women out of poverty focuses on human development and skill building and homegrown industry and, cooperative business development in sectors with demonstrated growth potential. Sector initiatives include:

Worker Owned Enterprise Development:

• Southern Journeys, a Worker owned, limited liability Sewing Company.   that provides income to sewers across Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi through the sale of conference and grocery bags and culturally inspired Hand-Crafted Home Décor, Personal Accessories and Gift collections Women on the Move, a rural transportation company in Mississippi, takes residents to work, medical appointments and schools in the company van and charter services to groups and organizations
  
• Southern Alternatives, a worker-owned pecan processing cooperative in Georgia that buys and processes pecans from local landowners and generates income for its business owners
• A Women’s Value Added Agricultural Network that coordinates training and networking activities to assist women in producing and marketing specialty crops and foods.  The network is also focused on improving community access to fresh, quality, affordable produce and offering processing opportunities through Licensed Commercial kitchens equipped for catering and commercial food preparation. 
• Workforce Development Initiative in Allied Healthcare SRBWI is working with Mississippi community colleges to extend training programs in the allied healthcare professions. The project seeks to develop marketable skills and career pathways for unemployed or underemployed rural black women in a sector that offers livable wages and reliable employment.
• Southern Rural Black Women’s Heritage Trail Markers along with oral history films from “New Visions” digital filmmaking  and traveling Hall of Fame exhibits, will tell stories of SRBWI Hall of Fame Inductees, their communities and their legacies.
  
• Financial and Technical Assistance and Training is made available through SRBWI staff, consultants, community based partners and SRBWI’s Seed Grant Fund.  
  Contact: Sarah Bobrow-Williams, SRBWI Asset and Finance Development Director at sbobrow@msn.com