A/HRC/22/72 Political commitments 78. At regional level, the African Union Declaration on Food Security in Africa (2003) contains the commitment of African States to allocate a minimum of 10 per cent of their national budgets to agricultural development. 127 79. Men Engage Alliance is a global alliance of NGOs and United Nations agencies that encourages men’s and boys’ participation to achieve gender equality. Household improvements 80. An organization of women farmers in Nepal established a local facility for the storage of approximately 80 varieties of rice. In India, the National Human Rights Commission decided to strengthen local administration in order to facilitate the availability of food grains, especially in remote and least-developed rural areas.128 81. In South Africa, the Solar Electric Light Fund was created in collaboration with rural women to establish micro-credit programmes to support the sale of solar home systems. A cooperative of rural women was organized in order to manage the loans and the maintenance of the system.129 82. In Kenya, Mali and Malawi, ceramic stoves were introduced to reduce the time women spend on collecting firewood. However, reports also show that women’s lack of cash and their husbands’ unwillingness to contribute to innovative systems of energy use hindered women’s access to such developments. 130 Financial services 83. In Bangladesh, Grameen Bank makes long-term loans for land and housing conditional on their registration in the women’s name, while BRAC Income Generation for Vulnerable Groups Development provides women with incentives to build savings for investment and protection against crises. 84. The Al Tadamun Microfinance Foundation in Egypt provides group-guaranteed microfinance exclusively for women. In December 2010, it had in excess of 103,600 active borrowers and a portfolio of US$ 14 million. 85. In Uzbekistan, the Women’s Committee supported by UN-Women developed a series of trainings through a network of self-help groups for women in rural areas to strengthen their capacity on how to access economic opportunities, develop business and money management skills and an understanding of credit systems. To complement this initiative, the Micro-Credit Bank together with the Government of Uzbekistan as a major shareholder provided micro-credits to the rural women’s self-help groups at a much lower annual interest rate than the standard rates. Since 2010 when the initiative was launched, almost 200 women have started business initiatives which enhanced their livelihood, selfesteem and status as decision-makers in their villages.131 86. UN-Women runs a programme for strengthening the economic livelihood opportunities for low-income and HIV-positive women in Cambodia. It also raised a Fund for Gender Equality, which has provided small grants to almost 1,300 women to help them start a small business. 127 128 129 130 131 CSW Report, para. 20. Submission by the National Human Rights Commission in India. UN-Women, note 25 above, p. 24. Ibid. UN-Women, Rural Women in Uzbekistan Unite to Learn Business Skills and Generate Livelihoods, 31 May 2012. 21