Comments on the zero draft of CFS VOLUNTARY GUIDELINES ON GENDER EQUALITY AND WOMEN’S AND GIRLS’ EMPOWERMENT in the context of food security and nutrition
Shameem Sheik Dastagir, India
Does the Zero Draft appropriately capture the main challenges and barriers that hinder progress in achieving gender equality and the full realization of women’s and girls’ rights in the context of food security and nutrition? If not, what do you think is missing or should be adjusted?
The very term mainstreaming is interpreted in multiple ways as per convenience of the implementer rather than doing justice to the actual meaning. Is it possible that the voluntary guidelines makes a simple checklist to ensure gender equity and equality to ensure the transformation of the marginal women, girls and gender non-conforming persons which is the desired outcome? Similarly, engagement with men also need to be handled carefully so that the aim for transformation of the real marginalised is not at risk. Though there are innumerable papers, mandates, etc. when actual implementation happens in many instances, its misinterpreted as focus on men, widening the inequality. So positive masculinity should be appropriately explained to result in gender transformation.
The scope of violence itself should be expanded to multiple gender identities, instead of only women. It could be women, young girls, LGBTQ persons identified as women, etc. The draft talks about intersectionality and multiple forms of discrimination which is good. But application of this approach is crucial in identifying the source of violence in private and public realms.
Do the nine sections of Part 3 of the Zero Draft comprehensively cover the policy areas to be addressed to achieve gender equality and the full realization of women’s and girls’ rights in the context of food security and nutrition? If not, what do you think is missing?
Under 3.2, the scope needs to be expanded to violence by state, violence at work places including informal sector and continuing practices like bonded labour where the food security is severely compromised along with denial of basic life needs.
Under 3.2, the policy areas of discussion includes engagement of men and boys. It is necessary that policies should be gender friendly expanding scope to women, men and gender non-conforming persons with stress that application of such policies should not become tokenistic. Intersectional analysis should be preceding the identification of different forms of violence and address them appropriately with suitable policies and multiple sets of actors as given in the draft. This will feed in to apt gender transformation which the guideline is hoping for.
Adaptation and implementation of such policies has been a challenge as states are often not mandated Though its voluntary, the guidelines should include the directive for resource allocation and appropriate execution in addition to making the public services gender responsive.
Under 3.3.1, one more reason needs to be added. In many countries, the education curriculum itself remains a drive to reinforce the adverse social norms, attitudes, and practices. Though this has been changing, the change is too gradual and not sustainable as the students succumb to the cultural pressures which results in negative health seeking behaviour of women and biases in consuming available food with preference to men. The girl stays much behind in terms of health and nutrition. This is a vicious cycle with early marriage of the girl (as she is liability), early motherhood, maternal mortality, etc.
Under 3.3.3, we could consider addition of Gender Sensitive value chain to increase the skills, capacity and market access to the small vendors, farmers. More details could be accessed on the handbook by ActionAid through https://actionaid.org/publications/2018/gender-sensitive-access-markets.
3.3.4 Access to appropriate ICT-based, digital and innovative technologies
A very careful consideration is required to assess the access of gadgets by the most marginalised. The Covid pandemic brought out the sad reality of very inadequate access to even a cheap smart mobile phone by vulnerable in many developing and under developed countries. We have seen the ugly face of digital divide which discriminated many from access to information and education. The guidelines could mandate the states for enhanced access to IT as a whole which will ensure adequate information access regards food security and nutrition too.
3.4 Women’s economic empowerment in the context of sustainable food systems
There is a need to build strong women agencies who is equipped with updated knowledge, information on resources, ability to critically analyse internalising the situation and build resilience adapting sustainable food value chains and ability to give testimonies /case studies/ ground experiences with process documentation to influence multiple actors at national, regional and international level.
Community led social protection measure addressing food security with contextualised, climate resilient and diverse livelihood alternatives. Frameworks could be developed using participatory methods to assess the scope and need. The states/NGOs could pitch in with initial capital for women’s collectives/collectives of vulnerable persons including gender non-conforming ones, after assessment.
3.5 Access to and control over natural and productive resources
Please consider including types of all climate effects affecting even the access to natural and productive resources. Human made disasters, corporatisation, etc. also play a crucial role in adverse migration, displacement taking the affected population far away from the resource without preparation for alternatives. The gendered roles put the women and vulnerable more at risk in taking care of the family and children. Addressing cultural norms, patriarchal practices becomes necessary while dealing with climate crisis – right from conceptualisation to implementation of the apt policies without red tapism.
3.7 Recognition, reduction and redistribution of unpaid care and domestic work
1. Recognize, reduce and redistribute unpaid care and domestic work
2. Maximise public financing for universal, quality gender-responsive public services
3. Address broader economic justice for women, including access to decent work
4. Recognise the differential impact of unpaid care and domestic work on different groups of women and girls
5. Apply a life-cycle approach to care work and
6. Ensure that the process of policy formulation is participatory and accountable
3.9 Social protection and food and nutrition assistance
Community led social protection measure addressing food security with contextualised, climate resilient and diverse livelihood alternatives. Frameworks could be developed using participatory methods to assess the scope and need. The states/NGOs could pitch in with initial capital for women’s collectives/collectives of vulnerable persons including gender non-conforming ones, after assessment.
Would like to give example of a community led social protection measure using participatory approach designed for a consortium (Thadar Project) in Myanmar where no state mechanisms are available for social welfare.
Food
Rationale: Food comprises the core of human well being and it emerged as a major priority during the discussions with the communities. The increasing food prices and unbalanced inequitable economic growth has severely affected poor people and thus their food security. Families in the delta on average have five family members. With inadequate household income, the poor are forced to go with no food or eat minimal food with no nutrition. This has multiple impacts especially on the sick, aged and children. While discussing the enormity of the issue, the communities in the sample villages readily prioritized supporting the families with not enough food throughout the year. Communities are already doing such actions but not in an organized/systematic manner.
In the discussions with the communities the proposed mechanisms for meeting food insecurity of the vulnerable families are:
a. Dependents like aged and persons with disability get free food for themselves
and their dependents.
b. The most vulnerable, but able bodied get food on credit in times of difficulties.
a. Free Food
Target population: “Dependents” are the most needy/vulnerable category in the village and include the destitute aged, orphans and people with disabilities without any one to take care of them, especially women. Usually this category comprises a maximum of 10% of the village population.
The mechanism: Presently the communities provide food and grains to these families during festivals and crop harvesting times as per their convenience. People also have the practice of collecting grains as part of religious culture to give to monasteries. As mentioned earlier in report, there is a strong faith element built in the minds of people which encourages giving. However this collection is not streamlined and happens depending on the need. Under this social protection option the idea is that all the identified most needy families will be provided free food on a monthly basis to ensure their food security. The village development committees or other community based groups will take the responsibility of collecting grains and usage will be streamlined so that there is a stock of grains available at all times in the village. Participants suggested that the collection of the grains in the village itself can be done in different ways like:
1. Top two categories in the well being analysis (typically the wealthy/rich and middle class) of the village give grain on a weekly/monthly basis
2. Simple collection of handful of grains everyday from those who can volunteer to give
3. Allocating specific quantity of grain during the harvesting time to responsible VDC or other community based group
4. Securing grains monthly during non lean season
5. Donation from the monasteries and other religious places
6. Donation from the rich people
Participants thought that the above could meet 50% of the requirement for providing free food. The remaining 50% requirement is to be met by the following methods:
- Support from NGOs – There are some NGOs working in some of the villages and distributing food to some of the most vulnerable. The village development committees will negotiate with the NGOs to contribute this food to the VDC/common store so that all the vulnerable people are taken care of in a systemic way.
- From the food for credit (see next section) – 10% of the interest from the food for credit money can be spent to purchase food to provide to dependents. As per the community’s idea, this is affordable and would be sufficient for the additional requirement of grains.
Method of distribution: Though there are many ways of distributing food grains, it has to be done in a way not to affect the dignity of the recipients. Giving free food can easily be mistaken for sympathy, for both the giver and the receiver. So it is very important that this is avoided. The poor need to have their self dignity and confidence intact and see this as a service for which they qualify. Hence it will be appropriate if a community resolution is passed for the monthly ration for the defined category of people. There should be agreement among all the community members that these families will receive the free food as their entitlement. This principle is applicable to all the community based social protection options.
Capital required: This program is not capital intensive. The 10% of the interest from the food for credit program (explained in next section) will be adequate as additional support. The Thadar project, with its funds can meet the needs for building the storage for the grains. It should also build the community capacity in maintenance and technical inputs in improving the grain preservation.
b. Food on credit
Rationale: As per the seasonal analysis with the participants in all 3 villages, two to four months every year is the lean season where food availability is almost nil especially for the landless and asset-less families who are daily wage workers. With meager and staggered income, it is impossible for them to save and be ready for this season. Most of the time they either borrow at heavy interest rates, borrow food, reduce their consumption or go without food. The food on credit program is designed to streamline the food availability to all even during the lean season.
Target population: Families with food insecurity who are able bodied in the village like single women, women headed families, families with large numbers and no income, landless wage labourers and people who have no choice and access to employment qualify for this. In the survey villages this category roughly comprises about 30-40% of the village population which is quite high. The food scarcity is acute during the lean seasons for 2-4 months in a year.
The Mechanism: A seed capital fund is provided by the NGO which is used to build a store and to buy the grains. The families in need are given the grains which they can repay after the lean season with 10% interest (which will be used to provide food for dependents in (a) above). The repayment will be flexible and will start after they start to work and earn. The Village Development Committee will decide on the period and nature of repayment as per the beneficiaries situation. The grains will be given on a monthly basis during the lean period depending on the need. The village committees will devise the guidelines for giving these grains so that the distribution is uniform and not discriminatory or favoured.
Support from the NGOs: The NGO will support the community to set up the guidelines and add value in strengthening community decisions in streamlining the provision credit and repayment of grains. The NGO will also build capacities of the community in setting up the records, documentation and train them in technical know-how to improve the storage quality. It will also mobilize support from the other NGOs present in the area for additional support.
Capital required: The NGO will support with the initial seed capital, building the storage facilities. This seed capital will be a revolving fund which the VDC/communities manage and increase the capacity of the grain banks. In the long run this will make the community self sustainable with little or no dependence on the NGO. The mechanism is not cost intensive and will serve as a replicable model for other villages as well.
Does Part 4 of the Zero Draft provide all the elements necessary for effective implementation and monitoring of the use and application of the Guidelines? If not, what do you propose to add or change?
The guidelines has to ensure the interrelatedness and interdependency of all 9 policy areas. Else there is a danger of perceiving each policy area as a silo which will damage the intention of gender transformation.
There needs to be clarity that the policies and interventions do not add burden on women but rather transform their position ensuring equity, equality and justice.
Mme Shameem Sheik Dastagir
Comments on the zero draft of CFS VOLUNTARY GUIDELINES ON GENDER EQUALITY AND WOMEN’S AND GIRLS’ EMPOWERMENT in the context of food security and nutrition
Shameem Sheik Dastagir, India
The very term mainstreaming is interpreted in multiple ways as per convenience of the implementer rather than doing justice to the actual meaning. Is it possible that the voluntary guidelines makes a simple checklist to ensure gender equity and equality to ensure the transformation of the marginal women, girls and gender non-conforming persons which is the desired outcome? Similarly, engagement with men also need to be handled carefully so that the aim for transformation of the real marginalised is not at risk. Though there are innumerable papers, mandates, etc. when actual implementation happens in many instances, its misinterpreted as focus on men, widening the inequality. So positive masculinity should be appropriately explained to result in gender transformation.
The scope of violence itself should be expanded to multiple gender identities, instead of only women. It could be women, young girls, LGBTQ persons identified as women, etc. The draft talks about intersectionality and multiple forms of discrimination which is good. But application of this approach is crucial in identifying the source of violence in private and public realms.
Under 3.2, the scope needs to be expanded to violence by state, violence at work places including informal sector and continuing practices like bonded labour where the food security is severely compromised along with denial of basic life needs.
Under 3.2, the policy areas of discussion includes engagement of men and boys. It is necessary that policies should be gender friendly expanding scope to women, men and gender non-conforming persons with stress that application of such policies should not become tokenistic. Intersectional analysis should be preceding the identification of different forms of violence and address them appropriately with suitable policies and multiple sets of actors as given in the draft. This will feed in to apt gender transformation which the guideline is hoping for.
Adaptation and implementation of such policies has been a challenge as states are often not mandated Though its voluntary, the guidelines should include the directive for resource allocation and appropriate execution in addition to making the public services gender responsive.
Under 3.3.1, one more reason needs to be added. In many countries, the education curriculum itself remains a drive to reinforce the adverse social norms, attitudes, and practices. Though this has been changing, the change is too gradual and not sustainable as the students succumb to the cultural pressures which results in negative health seeking behaviour of women and biases in consuming available food with preference to men. The girl stays much behind in terms of health and nutrition. This is a vicious cycle with early marriage of the girl (as she is liability), early motherhood, maternal mortality, etc.
Under 3.3.3, we could consider addition of Gender Sensitive value chain to increase the skills, capacity and market access to the small vendors, farmers. More details could be accessed on the handbook by ActionAid through https://actionaid.org/publications/2018/gender-sensitive-access-markets.
3.3.4 Access to appropriate ICT-based, digital and innovative technologies
A very careful consideration is required to assess the access of gadgets by the most marginalised. The Covid pandemic brought out the sad reality of very inadequate access to even a cheap smart mobile phone by vulnerable in many developing and under developed countries. We have seen the ugly face of digital divide which discriminated many from access to information and education. The guidelines could mandate the states for enhanced access to IT as a whole which will ensure adequate information access regards food security and nutrition too.
3.4 Women’s economic empowerment in the context of sustainable food systems
There is a need to build strong women agencies who is equipped with updated knowledge, information on resources, ability to critically analyse internalising the situation and build resilience adapting sustainable food value chains and ability to give testimonies /case studies/ ground experiences with process documentation to influence multiple actors at national, regional and international level.
Community led social protection measure addressing food security with contextualised, climate resilient and diverse livelihood alternatives. Frameworks could be developed using participatory methods to assess the scope and need. The states/NGOs could pitch in with initial capital for women’s collectives/collectives of vulnerable persons including gender non-conforming ones, after assessment.
3.5 Access to and control over natural and productive resources
Please consider including types of all climate effects affecting even the access to natural and productive resources. Human made disasters, corporatisation, etc. also play a crucial role in adverse migration, displacement taking the affected population far away from the resource without preparation for alternatives. The gendered roles put the women and vulnerable more at risk in taking care of the family and children. Addressing cultural norms, patriarchal practices becomes necessary while dealing with climate crisis – right from conceptualisation to implementation of the apt policies without red tapism.
3.7 Recognition, reduction and redistribution of unpaid care and domestic work
Kindly refer https://actionaid.org/publications/2021/guiding-principles-and-minimum-standards-unpaid-care-and-domestic-work for minimum guidelines and standards for this policy area. This talks about 6 areas that are as follows. These could be considered to adapt for food security and nutrition.
3.9 Social protection and food and nutrition assistance
Community led social protection measure addressing food security with contextualised, climate resilient and diverse livelihood alternatives. Frameworks could be developed using participatory methods to assess the scope and need. The states/NGOs could pitch in with initial capital for women’s collectives/collectives of vulnerable persons including gender non-conforming ones, after assessment.
Would like to give example of a community led social protection measure using participatory approach designed for a consortium (Thadar Project) in Myanmar where no state mechanisms are available for social welfare.
Food
Rationale: Food comprises the core of human well being and it emerged as a major priority during the discussions with the communities. The increasing food prices and unbalanced inequitable economic growth has severely affected poor people and thus their food security. Families in the delta on average have five family members. With inadequate household income, the poor are forced to go with no food or eat minimal food with no nutrition. This has multiple impacts especially on the sick, aged and children. While discussing the enormity of the issue, the communities in the sample villages readily prioritized supporting the families with not enough food throughout the year. Communities are already doing such actions but not in an organized/systematic manner.
In the discussions with the communities the proposed mechanisms for meeting food insecurity of the vulnerable families are:
and their dependents.
a. Free Food
Target population: “Dependents” are the most needy/vulnerable category in the village and include the destitute aged, orphans and people with disabilities without any one to take care of them, especially women. Usually this category comprises a maximum of 10% of the village population.
The mechanism: Presently the communities provide food and grains to these families during festivals and crop harvesting times as per their convenience. People also have the practice of collecting grains as part of religious culture to give to monasteries. As mentioned earlier in report, there is a strong faith element built in the minds of people which encourages giving. However this collection is not streamlined and happens depending on the need. Under this social protection option the idea is that all the identified most needy families will be provided free food on a monthly basis to ensure their food security. The village development committees or other community based groups will take the responsibility of collecting grains and usage will be streamlined so that there is a stock of grains available at all times in the village. Participants suggested that the collection of the grains in the village itself can be done in different ways like:
Participants thought that the above could meet 50% of the requirement for providing free food. The remaining 50% requirement is to be met by the following methods:
- Support from NGOs – There are some NGOs working in some of the villages and distributing food to some of the most vulnerable. The village development committees will negotiate with the NGOs to contribute this food to the VDC/common store so that all the vulnerable people are taken care of in a systemic way.
- From the food for credit (see next section) – 10% of the interest from the food for credit money can be spent to purchase food to provide to dependents. As per the community’s idea, this is affordable and would be sufficient for the additional requirement of grains.
Method of distribution: Though there are many ways of distributing food grains, it has to be done in a way not to affect the dignity of the recipients. Giving free food can easily be mistaken for sympathy, for both the giver and the receiver. So it is very important that this is avoided. The poor need to have their self dignity and confidence intact and see this as a service for which they qualify. Hence it will be appropriate if a community resolution is passed for the monthly ration for the defined category of people. There should be agreement among all the community members that these families will receive the free food as their entitlement. This principle is applicable to all the community based social protection options.
Capital required: This program is not capital intensive. The 10% of the interest from the food for credit program (explained in next section) will be adequate as additional support. The Thadar project, with its funds can meet the needs for building the storage for the grains. It should also build the community capacity in maintenance and technical inputs in improving the grain preservation.
b. Food on credit
Rationale: As per the seasonal analysis with the participants in all 3 villages, two to four months every year is the lean season where food availability is almost nil especially for the landless and asset-less families who are daily wage workers. With meager and staggered income, it is impossible for them to save and be ready for this season. Most of the time they either borrow at heavy interest rates, borrow food, reduce their consumption or go without food. The food on credit program is designed to streamline the food availability to all even during the lean season.
Target population: Families with food insecurity who are able bodied in the village like single women, women headed families, families with large numbers and no income, landless wage labourers and people who have no choice and access to employment qualify for this. In the survey villages this category roughly comprises about 30-40% of the village population which is quite high. The food scarcity is acute during the lean seasons for 2-4 months in a year.
The Mechanism: A seed capital fund is provided by the NGO which is used to build a store and to buy the grains. The families in need are given the grains which they can repay after the lean season with 10% interest (which will be used to provide food for dependents in (a) above). The repayment will be flexible and will start after they start to work and earn. The Village Development Committee will decide on the period and nature of repayment as per the beneficiaries situation. The grains will be given on a monthly basis during the lean period depending on the need. The village committees will devise the guidelines for giving these grains so that the distribution is uniform and not discriminatory or favoured.
Support from the NGOs: The NGO will support the community to set up the guidelines and add value in strengthening community decisions in streamlining the provision credit and repayment of grains. The NGO will also build capacities of the community in setting up the records, documentation and train them in technical know-how to improve the storage quality. It will also mobilize support from the other NGOs present in the area for additional support.
Capital required: The NGO will support with the initial seed capital, building the storage facilities. This seed capital will be a revolving fund which the VDC/communities manage and increase the capacity of the grain banks. In the long run this will make the community self sustainable with little or no dependence on the NGO. The mechanism is not cost intensive and will serve as a replicable model for other villages as well.
The guidelines has to ensure the interrelatedness and interdependency of all 9 policy areas. Else there is a danger of perceiving each policy area as a silo which will damage the intention of gender transformation.
There needs to be clarity that the policies and interventions do not add burden on women but rather transform their position ensuring equity, equality and justice.