Addressing discriminatory social norms through gender transformative approaches
By focusing on discriminatory social norms, gender transformative approaches have the power to consciously and intentionally address the underlying causes of gender inequalities and improve food security and nutrition for all, in line with Sustainable Development Goals 2 and 5.
This was the key message of a virtual side event held during the 50th Session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS50) on 11 October 2022, moderated by WFP’s Senior Gender Advisor Elizabeth Burges-Sims. The webinar was co-organized by the EU-RBA Joint Programme on Gender Transformative Approaches for Food Security and Nutrition (JP GTA) – implemented by FAO, IFAD and WFP in collaboration with and through financial support from the European Union – together with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Ecuador, Global Affairs Canada, CARE International and UN Women.
According to data collected by UN Women on the prevalence of discriminatory attitudes and gender-based stereotypes across 20 countries, in 2022 a surprising 25% of respondents agree that ‘in times of food shortages, priority should be given to men’, while 31% of respondents agree that ‘when jobs are scarce, men should have more right to a job than women’. Jemimah Njuki, Chief of Women’s Economic Empowerment at UN Women, highlighted that to change such attitudes and ensure transformative change, it is imperative to understand and address unequal gender norms.