Studies increasingly indicate that women play a vital role in promoting food security through their active participation in the production and looking after farmland as they participate in all aspects of rural life. According to the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), ‘despite the significant roles and responsibilities that women assume and are ascribed in food systems, in ensuring food security and nutrition at household, community, national and transnational levels, they face a systemic disadvantage in accessing productive resources, services, and information.’ By enshrining gender issues in the draft roadmap, UNDP is on the right track.
Thus, women own less land, have limited ability to hire labor, and have impeded access to credit, extension, and other services. Women farmers cultivate smaller plots and less profitable crops than male farmers. This not only relegates women to undesirable levels but also puts the socio-political and economic affairs of the communities under jeopardy. Essentially, food security, which is defined as the availability and the access of food to all people, whereas nutrition security demands the intake of a wide range of foods that provides the essential needed nutrients, is also thrown into disarray. Given the gender inequalities along the entire food production chain, that is, from farm to plate, all but impede the attainment of food and nutritional security. Besides, gender inequalities in access to productive resources such as land, labor, fertilizer, credit, technology, extension, and markets) for example, it can negatively affect food availability.
Thus, streamlining gender issues and increasing women in the food production and supply chain will dramatically help to enhance the productivity and consecutively the production of food. On the other hand, it can also assist in providing opportunities for income generation. It generally includes improving nutritional advice through home economics programs and enhancing the quality of rural life through community development. As World Food Program (WFP) has put it, the economic empowerment of rural women as farmers, entrepreneurs, and leaders contributes to alleviating poverty, increasing food security, and achieving gender equality.
It is safe to state that gender equality and women’s and girls’ empowerment in the context of food security and nutrition will bolster the achievement of SDGs, particularly such as Goal 1:No Poverty, Goal 2: Zero Hunger, Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being.
Dr. James Mawanda