Message from the facilitator
Dear FSN Forum members and dear participants in the CFS Gender Regional Consultations,
Here I am again, to tell you about some of the points discussed during the last CFS regional consultation. I remind you that the two-day webcast is available on the webpage, while the Co-Chairs' summary will be published soon. This consultation for the North America region was not exactly like the others, given its "regional dimension" limited to only two countries, but it was very well attended and participatory as well. The event saw the presence of several experts on behalf of governmental institutions of Canada and the USA, numerous civil society and private sector representatives, and some experts from academia.
We appreciated also the presence and the contributions as keynote speakers of Ambassador Gabriel Ferrero de Loma-Osorio, CFS Chairperson; Mr Paul Samson, Assistant Deputy Minister, Programs Branch, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada; Ms Maura Barry Boyle, Senior Deputy Assistant to the Administrator & Interim Global Water Coordinator, USAID’s Bureau for Resilience and Food Security; and Ms Joanna Veltri, Chief, IFAD Americas Liaison Office, who delivered a Joint Statement on behalf of FAO, IFAD and WFP.
On the second day the discussion focused on sections 3.1, 3.2 and 3.6 of the Zero Draft.
Last week, on 25 November, we commemorated the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and in this message I would like to focus on this topic in relation to our Voluntary Guidelines (VGs). As many of you might already know, one of the sections of the Zero Draft (Section 3.2) is dedicated to the elimination of violence and discrimination against women for improved food security and nutrition.
The COVID-19 pandemic, violent conflicts, humanitarian crises and climate-related disasters have led to a further intensification of violence against women, highlighting the need for urgent action.
However, evidence exists that violence against women and girls can be ended if a comprehensive approach is taken that tackles the root causes of the problem, transforms harmful social norms, ensures that survivors are provided with the services they need, and ends impunity.
In fact, among the various interventions in the North America Regional Consultation, some experts highlighted that women facing gender-based violence (GBV) often stay where they are because they do not see a way out. In addition to addressing the root causes of GBV, as policy areas and actions to be included in the VGs they suggested to focus on building women’s resilience, to make them able to escape situations of abuse and to be empowered. In this direction, participants also raised the need to ensure adequate and accessible provision of publicly funded services to women survivors of GBV.
One participant reported that throughout North America, indigenous women are especially vulnerable to severe violence, highlighting that both the US and Canada have initiatives to address "Missing and murdered Indigenous Women". She affirmed the need to expressly address and step-up security and justice for indigenous women and for others facing particular discrimination in the social system.
Participants also stressed other key challenges and barriers, including the risk for some women in leadership positions who often become target of violence and the need to think on how to combat this issue, and the necessity for a better analysis of the linkages between GBV and humanitarian crises, including COVID-19 and climate disasters.
Finally, as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women reminds us, we all have a role to play to achieve a brighter future free from violence. I trust the Voluntary Guidelines can create extraordinary momentum and promote commitment to the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls in the context of food security and nutrition.
Thank you all for your attention and for your appreciated contribution to the development of this policy product.
Yours,
Marina Calvino
CFS Secretariat
السيدة Marina Calvino