FAO and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry partner to transform the lives of rural women in Türkiye and Central Asia

The first regional workshop for the project “Leaving No One Behind: Greater Involvement and Empowerment of Rural Women in Türkiye and Central Asia”, was held on 3 August in Ankara, within the framework of the FAO–Türkiye Partnership Programme on Food and Agriculture. The project will work towards eliminating gender-based discrimination and exclusion in rural areas of Türkiye, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan by providing learning and income-generation opportunities and promoting inclusion. In Türkiye, the project will support the establishment of pilots in at least three provinces, while in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, the focus will be on building knowledge and strengthening the capacities of decision-makers to formulate and implement policies and projects based on evidence and sound gender analysis. The project will bring together beneficiaries from all three countries to share best practices and lessons learned about socially inclusive agri-food systems and women’s empowerment in rural areas.

The inception workshop was the first step in this process. Representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Türkiye and ministries of agriculture of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, FAO, experts, development practitioners, civil society members and other stakeholders met to discuss the project’s concept, approach and planned activities, reach a consensus and commence implementation.

Evidence generated by FAO across the globe points to a strong correlation between gender inequalities, poverty and poor performance in agricultural sectors. Improving gender equality by expanding economic opportunities for women has multiple positive impacts for women, men, and their families and communities. Emphasizing the systemic barriers that women, and especially rural women, face in access to resources, education and employment opportunities, Viorel Gutu, FAO Subregional Coordinator for Central Asia and FAO Representative in Türkiye, affirmed that FAO is “committed to supporting rural women’s access to knowledge and skills”, and notied that “we also provide policy advice to institutions involved in formulating and implementing agriculture and rural development policies to help them be more responsive to the needs of the disadvantaged groups.”

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