Institutional and policy engagement

Ensuring that senior management in the UN Rome-based Agencies (RBAs) - FAO, IFAD and WFP - appreciate the importance of gender transformative approaches in efforts to attain Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger) is critical for the successful institutional uptake of such approaches.

This entails pursuing continued, evidence-based dialogue with regional and country representatives and directors, departmental heads, gender champions and high-level partners. Events and knowledge exchanges create avenues for them to amplify their support to a wider audience, helping to trigger an institutional mindset shift within the RBAs.

The JP GTA is also actively engaged in contributing to the global policy dialogue on gender equality, women’s empowerment and rural development. Through multilateral fora, it seeks to reinforce the role gender transformative approaches can play in achieving the world’s ambitious development goals in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

United Nations Food Systems Summit

In the context of Action Track 4 on ‘Advancing Equitable Livelihoods’ of the Food Systems Summit 2021, members of the JP GTA contributed to the preparation of a Solution Cluster to drive the systematic integration of GTAs in food systems programmes and policies, challenging all actors to transform power dynamics, norms and structures that reinforce gender inequality.

Committee on World Food Security (CFS)

Drawing in part on experience and knowledge generated by the JP GTA, the RBAs have been supporting the development of the CFS Voluntary Guidelines on Gender Equality and Women’s and Girls’ Empowerment in the Context of Food Security and Nutrition, through their contribution to the relevant CFS Technical Task Team and the regional consultations. The Zero Draft was discussed at the meeting of the CFS Open Ended Working Group on 5 July 2021.

Contribution to the European Union External Gender Action Plan III

The Rome-based Agencies contributed to the online targeted consultation on the European Union's Gender Action Plan for 2021-2025 (GAP III). FAO’s position paper, for example, proposed transforming negative gender stereotypes and discriminatory social norms by using GTAs to achieve substantive gender equality as one priority area, with the economic and social empowerment of women among the key policy areas.

Corporate gender equality mechanisms and gender mainstreaming programmes

On 23 July 2020, colleagues from FAO, IFAD and WFP came together as part of an RBAs virtual knowledge exchange event focusing on good practices in corporate gender equality mechanisms and gender mainstreaming programmes. Over 50 colleagues from the RBAs participated. This event was organized in collaboration with the FAO Women’s Committee. It was aimed at enhancing peer-to-peer learning and experience sharing on how to promote institutional engagement for gender equality. The good practices and lessons learned discussed were encapsulated in a Summary Report.

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