Under its Women Economic Empowerment Programme funded by the Government of Japan, UNDP is adapting the One-Village One-Product approach to Yemen and the dairy sector. A market assessment was conducted in 2015 to assess its economic potential for women in key districts of Taizz Governorate.

The study methodology was based on a Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA), allowing the communities to express their views in an inclusive manner. Fieldwork involved direct site visits to different locations, separate focus group meetings and consultative discussions with women communities, dairy sector producers and the different actors involved in the value chain (processors, wholesalers, retailers, traders). The market assessment surveys four districts: (i) Ash-Shamayatayn, (ii) Al Ma’afer, (iii) Al Mawasit, and (iv) Jabal Habashi.

The assessment indicates that the dairy sector (cheese and laban) value chain in the target area is very primitive, underdeveloped, and disorganized. Women are an active labour force engaged in the cheese and laban production, yet they are heavily constrained by the lack of facilities and services to upgrade current production and meet a growing market demand.

For more information, please contact Ms. Rasha Al Shargabi, Field Coordinator in Taizz (rasha.alshargabi@undp.org), or Ms. Farah Abdessamad, Programme Specialist in Sana’a (farah.abdessamad@undp.org).