Madagascar is developing its sustainable tourism plan with the empowerment of women. The land baobabs aims to help its women, who are long missed out from, the economic benefits.
Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world with the almost 80% of the population living on less than $1.90 a day.
The tourism in Madagascar has grown significantly in recent years but the tourism industry has often failed to interpret into economic prospects for local communities, and, in particular, women.
But now UNESCO’s CapED Programme has been active in Madagascar since 2011 supporting the country’s vocational education and training, with particular emphasis on agriculture, being the largest sector.
In January 2018, CapED formed a partnership with Foundation CHANEL to further vocational education and training in the area of sustainable tourism, with a particular focus on women.
This sustainable programme will benefit communities surrounding the Tsingy Nature Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, on the western coast of Madagascar. While the western coast of Madagascar attracts the global tourists especially of UK, USA and China, but the the local population does not benefit from this opportunity.
This innovative developmental partnership brings together expertise from UNESCO’s Culture and Education Sectors. It works to offer the local women with access to training and opportunities in the sustainable tourism sector to improve their livelihoods and help them become financially independent.
