全球粮食安全与营养论坛 (FSN论坛)

Dear FSN-Moderator

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to contribute.

After reading through the document, I will like the following to be considered:

1. Food security (quality wise). In the rural settings where women and girls take care of the food intake of the households they are prone to non-communicable diseases caused by the non-conventional agricultural chemicals  applied by farmers. While we are talking of food security, we should also ask if women and girls are secured in terms of food quality. I have observed that women go in for cheaper foods in the market in order to save up but at the end buy food which is of less quality.

2. Humanitarian organisations that actually help women in a sustainable manner. The Case of the Northern region of Cameroon where the highest malnutrition is reported meanwhile they have land potentials for crops which can provide them a balance diet with a higher tonnage than other parts of Cameroon. But we find humanitarian organisations sharing food items which go a long way to hinder the growth of women as they can remain indoors feeding the kids rather than going entrepreneurial if a different form of help was given. Let the organisations do thorough research for the needs of a locality and provide the index showing how it will empower the women.

Thank you

English translation below

Chère équipe,

Le document est trop inspirant pour les intervenants dans la promotion du droit et de l'autonomisation de la femme. Il serait mieux dans les actions à entrevoir, de s'intérer aussi à la promotion des activités potentielles des femmes dans les zones humides. Les zones humides constituent actuellement un endroit idéal pour le développement des activités rurales pendant cette période de perturbation climatique. En RD Congo par exemple, il s'est fait remarquer que les femmes ont un accès très limité à cette ressource (zones humides) et ne sont employées que pour couvrir certaines activités sans être impliqué dans la gestion des outputs de leur activité. Ne serais-ce pas idéal, pour atténuerà la gravité de l'insécurité alimentaire de doter les femmes des capacités leur permettra de promouvoir leur participation aux activités prometteuses (à l'instar des activités agraires dans les zones humides).

Gilbert Mugisho/Université Evangélique en Afrique (UEA-Bukavu)

Dear team,

The document is extremely inspiring for those involved in the promotion of women's rights and their empowerment. It would be better to mainstream the promotion of potential activities of women in the wetlands in the envisaged actions. Currently, wetlands are ideal for the development of rural activities during this period of climatic disruption. In the DR Congo, for example, it has been noted that women have very limited access to this resource (wetlands) and are only employed to cover certain activities without being involved in the management of the outputs of their activity. Wouldn't it be ideal, in order to reduce the severity of food insecurity, to provide women with the capacity that will allow them to promote their participation in promising activities (such as farming in the wetlands).

Gilbert Mugisho/Evangelical University in Africa (UEA-Bukavu)

English translation below

Commentaires généraux

La France tient à réiterer son appréciation de l’approche holistique des enjeux de genre dans ce document, essentielle pour une bonne prise en compte des enjeux de genre, l’intégration dans le corps du texte des textes internationaux de référence (partie 2) et la référence systématique aux régimes alimentaires sains (« healthy diets »).

Nous appelons à une haute ambition sur le contenu de ce texte qui va fixer les orientations pour les prochaines années et alors que la Commission Population et Développement (CPD) des Nations-unies vient d’adopter en 2021 une résolution sur la sécurité alimentaire et la nutrition, première résolution adoptée depuis 2016. Le Forum Génération-Egalité, porté par la France et le Mexique et dont trois des sujets étaient les violences faites aux femmes, l’accès à l’éducation et l’autonomisation économique des femmes s’est tenu la semaine dernière. Il nous semble important que ces Voluntary Guidelines s’inspirent des conclusions du Forum.

Nous sommes particulièrement attachés aux mentions des «sexual and gender-based violences », des « sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights », des « transformative approaches » et à « gender equality » et apprécions leur inclusion dans ce document, qui est essentielle sur ce sujet. Le texte devrait également être cohérent et parler systématiquement de "food security and nutrition » et non de « food and nutrition security », qui n'est pas une formulation appropriée.

La protection sociale pourrait venir plus tôt dans le document, ainsi que le travail non-domestique non-rémunéré, car ces deux domaines concentrent des causes majeures de la situation actuelle et présentent dès lors des potentialités de changement tout aussi importantes.

Les « policy areas » devraient encore être renforcées, ainsi que la section sur l’accès aux ressources foncières et productives, pour permettre une véritable opérationnalisation des directives dans le document et mieux intégrer la question de la nécessité de la transition durable des systèmes alimentaires (voir propositions dans le document ci-joint)

Ce texte pourrait également gagner en pertinence et en impact sur le problème considéré, en incluant ces deux points :

> il conviendrait d’intégrer une référence aux systèmes patriarcaux, aux côtés des traditions et des normes sociales qui conduisent à des discriminations, des barrières et des violences à l’égard des femmes et des filles.

> l’inclusion de langage sur les orientations sexuelles et identités de genre, particulièrement dans la section dédiée aux violences car ces populations, pour reconnaitre plus largement tous les défis auxquels les femmes font face dans le contexte de la sécurité alimentaire et la nutrition.

La France propose les ajouts et modifications au texte ci-joint.

General comments

France appreciates the holistic approach to gender issues in this document. This perspective is essential in order to properly address gender issues, integrate relevant international texts (part 2) into the body of the text and systematically consider the matter of healthy diets.

This text should pursue ambitious goals, as it will determine the course to be followed over the next few years, bearing in mind that in 2021 the United Nations Commission on Population and Development (CPD) adopted a resolution on food security and nutrition for the first time since 2016. The Generation Equality Forum proposed by France and Mexico, which met last week, discussed inter alia the issues of gender-based violence, access to education and economic empowerment of women.These Voluntary Guidelines should be inspired by the conclusions of the Forum.

We applaud the inclusion of references to sexual and gender-based violence, sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, transformative approaches and gender equality. It is important that they be included in this document. To be consistent, the text should refer throughout to food security and nutrition rather than to food and nutrition security, which is not an accurate formulation.

Social protection might be mentioned earlier in the document, as well as unpaid non-domestic work. These two areas are the main issues that have led to the current situation, and they could also lead to equally important changes.

Policy areas should be expanded, as well as the section on land and productive resources, to ensure operationalization of the guidelines set forth in the document and enhance the integration of the need for a sustainable transition of food systems (see the proposals in the attached document).

The following two points should also be included in order to make the text more relevant and enhance its impact:

> reference should be made to patriarchal systems, as well as to social traditions and norms that lead to discrimination, barriers and violence against women and girls.

> language on sexual orientation and gender identity should be included, especially in the section on violence against these populations, so as to promote broader recognition of the challenges faced by women in regard to food security and nutrition.

The additions and changes proposed by France are set forth in the attached text.

The path of global agricultural development has been narrowly focused on increased productivity rather than on a more holistic integration of Natural Resource Management with food and nutritional security, therefore a system-oriented approach is preferable because it can address the difficult issues associated with the complexity of food and other production systems in different ecologies, locations and cultures.

Most rural women are comparatively poor and uneducated, their impact and activities are significant as their indigenous knowledge in the management of natural resources such as land, soil, water and forests (trees) because their traditional gender roles bring them in direct contact with these natural resources, and their survival and that of their families depend directly on exploiting and harnessing supplies from these natural resources, which are the main factors that affect agricultural productivity. When the world environmental protection and conservation policies advocate for protection without any form of use, while ignoring rural women, they become the greatest victims of such a policy.

In rural communities, land provides many basic needs, the most essential one been food. The main activity of rural women is producing food for their families. Women provide over 80% of labor directly in food production on most farms, firewood collection, fetching water for domestic use, cooking and treatment of common rural ailments. Women have direct contact with land in their effort to produce food. If the soil doesn’t yield enough crops as a result of exhaustion, women would have to deal with modification of farming practices like provision of local manure to replenish the soil. Their traditional activities, skills and knowledge are crucial in understanding why lands deteriorate or remain viable, while it is becoming increasingly important to protect soils from erosion, and degradation. A lot of natural biodiversity and change of ecologies also result when land is misused; loss of biodiversity because of intensive, indiscriminate and careless use of land. It is of much urgency that women are taught to use farming and other compatible land use approaches for biodiversity and ecological conservation. The common problems related to use of land in the face of increasing human population and diminishing land resources are deforestation, soil and water pollution.

Addressing gender, many people don't understand what gender equality actually means: Instead of seeking for women to be treated fairly just us males would be treated in any situation, a lot of activism in the gender mainstreams rather incite women to disregard men which over shadows the relevance of seeing both genders as equal humans. Gender equality should be sorted on the basis that both genders have access to opportunities and accorded equal respect. Gender disparities in agriculture hinders the chance of achieving food security, for example in the traditional  settings, inheritance is mostly patrilineal making land owner very tough for women. Once a woman marries she has no direct right to lands in her husband's family unless she's fortuned to be given any or is privileged to acquire lands of her own. Women in rural communities struggle a lot to achieve household food security though about 80% of agricultural labor in rural communities comprises of women, women do not usually have control over agricultural produce once harvesting is done the men take charge of everything and sometimes they sell all and the women will have to find means of fending for the family. 

To help achieve food security and reduce poverty, sustainable natural resource management and measures to stabilize and increase soil productivity need to be taken without delay. The use of indigenous knowledge in solving food shortage remains a powerful means of sustaining rural household food security. Trial and error natural resource management experiments contribute to develop many indigenous techniques and practices for cultivating, processing and preserving foods at the rural community level. Indigenous methods and solutions applied by women to sustain household food supplies are culturally acceptable, economically practicable, and more appropriate for the local environment and conditions. Rural women have an important role to play in using and preserving this valuable indigenous knowledge, they manage to achieve sustainable food security at household levels, with practical, efficient and economic solutions.

One effective means to achieve household food security is by recognizing, supporting and helping improve the agricultural skills of rural women. A number of changes will strengthen women’s contribution to agricultural production and sustainability, these include support for public services and investment in rural areas in order to improve women’s living and working conditions; giving priority to technological development policies targeting rural and farm women’s needs  and recognizing their knowledge, skills and experience in the production of food and the conservation of biodiversity; and assessing the negative effects and risks of farming practices and technology, including pesticides on women’s health, and taking measures to reduce use and exposure.

Dear FSN-Moderator

Many thanks for sending this email. 

I would like to suggest the following for your kind consideration.

1. Female contributions to improve ecosystem services and resilience must be quantified and some indexes must be developed to realize the female personal as a community and their responsibility of safeguarding ecosystems they live in. 

Examples

i. number of females in a house and amount of organic fertilizer produced from kitchen wastes

ii. amount of homemade fertilizer used for cultivation per unit home garden areas 

iii. number of edible plant varieties  could be found in the home garden or Number of edible plant varieties divided by  the land area available for cultivation.

iv. amount of annual rainwater received to a particular home garden in meters multiplied by the home garden area

v. amount of pure rainwater used to recharge to replenish groundwater

vi. Value home garden products according to the current market price and  save that money when they use home garden products. Amount of money saved by one household and how they utilized that money.

Best Regards

Chandima 

Two key points are missing from this document and their inclusion would substantially improve the guidelines.  

First, there is no mention of energy use or energy poverty in the context of food security.  I work with a team based in East Africa where there is a direct relationship between lack of access to cooking fuels (generally firewood and charcoal), gender, and food insecurity.  The connections between energy, food insecurity, and gender are complex but I would recommend the work of my chief collaborator Dr. Mary Njenga, based at CIFOR-ICRAF, who has been working on this issue in all of its nuance for many years.  

The second issue is perhaps more controversial.  In the first paragraph of the introduction the guidelines state reference "gender equality and women's and girls' empowerment" as the critical contributing variable under consideration.  This phrasing indicates that gender equality is not identical to women's and girls' empowerment but rather is something larger and more inclusive.  Unfortunately, over the course of the document it becomes clear that while men and boys may be included in gender equity considerations, gender minorities are not.  To be blunt, this document like so many others of its type makes an impassioned plea for gender equality and gender transformation on human rights grounds and then fails to include those who are not cis-gendered, heterosexual, or gender conforming.  

I recognize that in many regions of the world, including large portions of Europe and the United States, inclusive conceptions of intersectional gender categories are deeply unpopular.  At the same time, using the language of human rights, social transformation, and social justice in guidelines that fail to mention the existence of gender minorities opens the gender-inclusive community up to valid accusations of hypocrisy.  Rather than a call for equality, documents written as this one is, increase the isolation of gender minorities around the world. We can and must do better. 

Guidelines on the Empowerment of Women and girls in Nutrition and Food Security

We do not propose to comment on the draft provided or suggest additions to it. However, we intend to examine the problem with respect to its causes with a view to outlining some ways by which the inequities in the area may be alleviated. First of all, we need to make certain that the words we use are clearly defined and their meanings are reasonable and not merely rhetorical.

‘Empowerment’ may sound ‘obvious’, ‘self-evident’ etc. But is it in this context? Consider nutrition; we used the word to include both food production and individual consumption. After all, if food is not produced, its consumption becomes purely academic. This would raise the question, does this empowerment applies to food production, its consumption or both?

As to the empowerment between sexes in food security, the two previously mentioned components are equally important, for there cannot be food security without its appropriate production and consumption. Just producing food and stockpiling it does not constitute food security unless people are able to consume adequate quantities of it. Therefore, it would be reasonable to suggest that we ought to direct our attention to ‘empowerment’ in food production and consumption as well as ensuring their sustainability and resilience. Neglect of any one of those four aspects would make such empowerment useless.

What does this ‘empowerment’ mean? Taking food producton first, do we mean that both sexes who are engaged in it should be free to do any one or more of the following:

• Engage in any form of food production
• Dispose of the food one produces in any chosen way; since this often involves the use of trade sub-system of a food system, great deal of words have been written/uttered about it with nugatory effect.
• Consumption of any food in whatever quantity desired.

Let us remind ourselves that food security depends on possessing an adequate, resilient and appropriate food production that is environmentally sustainable whose output is consumed in appropriate quantities with minimal waste. If the argument thus far is accepted, we might propose the following:

• Let there be equal opportunities for both sexes to produce food, dispose of it and to procure a wholesome, varied and a balanced diet.

True, this statement is too simple, it lacks the high-soundning verbiage beloved by those who plough the paper with their pen. But is it not what is desired? Well then, let us consider what basic obstacles would have to be overcome to achieve our objective.

En passant, let us look at the fashionable current proposals aimed at attaining the present goal. Irrespective of their exact wording, they fall into three categories:

1. Proclamation of rights.
2. Legislation.
3. Technical and/or financial aid to women and girls.

Please note that legislation would promulgate laws that require women and girls access to ‘education,’ ‘training’ etc., as recommended by local expertise which often remains ignorant of the prevailing conditions in their own countryside. We will remain silent on people’s belief in declared rights because we do not with to engage in religious debates.

Perhaps, a rare reader might ask, “what on earth is he talking about?” It is a fair question; before one acts, one needs to know what is desirable to achieve and how much of it is possible to achieve. Would not one think this reasonable?

In this context, have we ascertained any of the following:

• Trainable abilities of the target group.
• Technical and financial resources at the ‘trainers’s and supervisors’ long-term disposal.
• Availability of requisite infra-structural support services.
• Access to social goods like education, health care, etc.
• Physical security of the individual.

Let us assume that everything listed just above obtains to some degree, for it cannot be found in a perfect state anywhere in the real world. Then, how may one explain the need for the present empowerment only in some areas?

We hold that the birth of regulations and rest of the legal machinery is greately posterior to social norms; some of which were concerned with ethics both secular and religious. For instance, nobody would deny that stealing has been condemned even in the most ‘primitive’ societies. And two hundred years ago, in some highly civilised lands, children were hanged for stealing a loaf of bread. Even there, it took a long time to make this legal norm milder and perhaps, a little less civilised.

Discrimination against females has taken a long time to ameliorate even in countries it is virtually absent now. Meanwhile in some others, their belief systems inculcate into people the notion that women are somehow inferior and ought to be treated as such. In some cases, this is done in a covert fashion while in others, it is overt and even extreme.

We cannot hope to attain our goal if we pretend not to see what is glaringly obvious. Neither screamed rhetoric nor loud abuse could pave the way either. Most belief systems seem to have some shared norms of common decency. It may be possible to base them as a point of departure for honest diplomatic exchanges with a view to modifying the undesirable social norms.

Best wishes!

Lal Manavado.

English translation below

• ¿Que llega de los por gramas a los territorios y para quienes, y finalmente que tipo de empoderamiento produce, en los diferentes niveles que
• ¿Recoge el Borrador cero de forma adecuada los principales retos y barreras que dificultan el progreso en la consecución de la igualdad de género y la plena realización de los derechos de las mujeres y las niñas en el contexto de la seguridad alimentaria y la nutrición? Si no es así, ¿qué cree que falta o debería ajustarse?

Considero que en este tema los países coinciden. Sin embargo, al momento de llevar acabo la implementación difieren incluso en un mismo país entre territorios. El tema no se puede tratar sin incluir como se relaciona a las actividades, al territorio como relaciones sociales que se encuentran en el

mismo y a las culturas dominantes que establecen procesos concretos y simbólicos de valorización y del lugar dado socialmente a mujeres, hombres y niñxs.

Por supuesto que no es aceptable el hambre o la prohibición de estudiar, como derecho humano universal, y que los programas de asistencia en las coyunturas son válidos, pero no deben constituir a las mujeres en objeto de políticas de asistencia ya que se contrapone a los enunciados de empoderamiento. Preguntarles a ellas es su contexto que es para ellas empoderamiento.

• ¿Refleja la Parte 2 del Borrador cero de forma satisfactoria los principios básicos que deberían sustentar las Directrices? Si no es así, ¿cómo propone mejorar estos principios?
• Analizaría cuáles el tipo de gobernanza que proponen los países para que los principios sean cumplidos
• ¿Cubren las nueve secciones de la Parte 3 del Borrador cero de forma exhaustiva las áreas de políticas que deben abordarse para lograr la igualdad de género y la plena realización de los derechos de las mujeres y las niñas en el contexto de la seguridad alimentaria y la nutrición? Si no es así, ¿qué cree que falta?
• Cómo pueden sostener en el tiempo ante los pronósticos de cambio climático y conflictos en diferentes contextos, o en acaparamiento por la tierra, entre otros procesos como flexibilización laboral ¿Cómo garantizar ante esos procesos la igualdad a partir de cambios en la gobernanza de los territorios? Es posible garantizarlos, preguntarles a ellas es importante. Por supuesto que es importante que se pronuncien los organismos internacionales ante las injusticias y la privación de derechos.
• ¿Proporciona la Parte 4 del Borrador cero todos los elementos necesarios para la implementación y el seguimiento efectivos del uso y la aplicación de las Directrices? Si no es así, ¿qué propone añadir o cambiar?

Alas directrices internacionales, solicitaría que los países eleven las que propone organizaciones que representen el derecho de las mujeres/niñxs y diversidades. Entre lo propuesto y lo que se proponga, solo así se podrán lograr compromisos y que sean coherentes con las dinámicas que hoy

muchos territorios tienen agravadas por el tema COVID, por discriminaciones e incluso persecuciones. De igual importancia son las migraciones que se producen, principalmente en mujeres con hijxs por los

temas climáticos y acceso a salud, agua y niveles de educación.

Cómo garantizan los países a través de sus Estados estos derechos y como se ponen en funcionamiento los mecanismos de compensación entre países más ricos y aquellos más empobrecidos. Y que con relación a dichos mecanismos se considere a las mujeres con derecho a acceso a recursos, a empleos, a educación etc. Qué fija el compromiso de los Estados. El compromiso de los Estados, debe ser previsto más allá de quienes estén eventualmente en el poder gubernamental. Esto supone trabajar patrones de gobernanza participativos y también retomar el debate de las relaciones entre actores sociales-redes y TIC´s, en las posibilidades y también efectos diversos que se suceden. Por lo cual las organizaciones internacionales y las vivencias de

gobiernos autoritarios, es que se establecen los términos de Estados de derechos y los derechos a garantizar para ser considerado un Estado de derecho. Lo cual requiere un análisis continuo.

Espero que estos breves comentarios puedan ser de interés.

Please find below my comments on the proposed guiding questions:

• 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?
• What benefits do the programmes bring to the territories? Who are the beneficiaries? Ultimately, what type of empowerment do they yield at different levels?

I believe countries share a similar stance. However, the actual implementation of this common view is different, even between territories within the same country. The issue requires addressing its connection to the activities, social relations and dominant cultures in the territories –which establish concrete and symbolic value-enhancing processes– and the place socially given to women, men and children. 

Of course, hunger is not acceptable, nor the prohibition to study the universal right to food. Assistance programmes in different contexts are valid, but women should not be the targets of assistance policies, as this would go against the principles of empowerment. Consulting women in their contexts contributes to their empowerment

• Does Part 2 of the Zero Draft satisfactorily reflect the core principles which should underpin the Guidelines? If not, how do you propose to improve these principles? 

I would analyse what type of governance countries propose to ensure the adherence to the principles.

• 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?
• How to maintain all the related actions over time in the face of climate change and conflicts in different contexts, land grabbing or other processes such as flexible working? How to guarantee gender equality through changes in the governance of the territories?

Achieving this is possible. Consulting women is important. The opposition of international bodies to injustice and deprivation of rights is indeed relevant.

• 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?

In addition to the international guidelines, I would ask countries to raise the demands of those organisations that represent the rights of women/children and other diverse groups. This is the only way to achieve consistent commitments with the ongoing dynamics, aggravated in many territories nowadays due to COVID-19, discrimination and even persecution. Equally important are migrations –mainly of women with children– due to climate issues and access to health, water and education services.

• How countries guarantee these rights and how are compensatory mechanisms between richer and poorer countries implemented?

Women's right to access resources, jobs, education, etc. should be taken into account in these mechanisms, as well as underpinning the commitment of the countries, which must go beyond the government in power. This implies working on participatory patterns of governance and resuming the debate on the relationship between social actors-networks and ICT, as well as taking into account the different possibilities and effects. The work of international organisations and the experiences of authoritarian governments should be a reference to guarantee the rule of law. A task that requires continuous analysis.

I hope these brief comments will be of interest.

This is in response to open consultation on “CFS VOLUNTARY GUIDELINES ON GENDER EQUALITY AND WOMEN’S AND GIRLS’ EMPOWERMENT in the context of food security and nutrition”.

In my view, gender equality is a prerequisite for women’s and girl’s empowerment. Only after achieving gender equality, other guidelines can be formulated because without gender equality nothing else works.

First necessary step in gender equality is recommending equal amount of food energy. Current recommendation is lower food energy to female (including adolescent girls). “VOLUNTARY GUIDELINES ON WOMEN’S AND GIRLS’ EMPOWERMENT” are not relevant in the current situation.

Dear Madam/ Sir,

My compliments to the team that developed a well thought of CFS Guidelines.

I would like to draw specific attention to the cause of women working in the Informal sector, specially in India and other similar economies. As per a report in Times of India (TOI 9 Oct 2021) by Bishwapriya Sanyal,

1. Nearly 90% of India's labour is employed in the informal sector, which includes small constructions, agriculture, transport, domestic services and others. They work on average >53 hours a week, with no or negligible social safeguard including food, nutrition and health. Women are even less privileged both in terms of lower wages, low preference (over male workers) both at work and at home.
2. Often such occupations (~66%) are of high risk in nature such as construction, subsistence farming with high levels of drudgery, street vending at risk of accidents and physical abuse; domestic help etc. More women  (42%) are employed in such work than men (32%), particularly subsistence farming (where men opt for better paying non-farm work) and domestic services.  
3. Globally, workers in the informal sector are more severely affected by natural calamities (including climate change disasters pandemics) as well as socio-political disruptions facing frequent migration. 
4. Most of the women employed in the  informal sector have chosen this on compulsion, for not being adequately skilled to do anything else.
5. Therefore, skilling is an integral part of women empowerment in the developing economies, which needs to be addressed for bringing F&N security for women.

It is well known that when women have the right and access to food, it gets equitably distributed in the family, with children getting the best available food. Hence empowering women (particularly rural women) with the knowledge of the importance of nutritious food at childhood for future well being, skilling them, and organising groups to handle small enterprises to earn better, are going to go a long way in building a strong and self-reliant society.

For this, enabling policies and necessary infrastructure need to be in place.

Malavika Dadlani (India)

Former Joint Director (Research), IARI, New Delhi

Editor, National Academy of Agricultural Sciences