FAO urges strategic focus on improving women’s contribution to global food security
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) celebrated the International Women’s Day on 8 March 2022 with calls to the global community to focus on removing barriers affecting women’s contribution to food security.
FAO Representatives in Kenya, Brussels and Rome emphasized the need to narrow the persistent gender gaps that consign women to poor pay for equal labor, lack of access to sources of finance and social and cultural norms that affect women’s labor productivity especially in agriculture.
International Women’s Day Celebration
The International Women’s Day event was observed virtually in Brussels and Nairobi to celebrate women involved in the agri-food production chain. The celebration was an opportunity to discuss obstacles women face in building their journey towards success in various fields, including in agricultural entrepreneurship.
“We commemorate this day fully aware of the persistent gender gaps facing women in the food production chain. Women are our food heroes,” said Raschad Al-Khafaji, Director, FAO Liaison Office with the European Union and Belgium in Brussels.
“Gender equality, diversity and inclusion are crucial to FAO’s mandate. FAO plays a central role in supporting efforts, generating knowledge and promoting innovative solutions to address gender-based discrimination that still holds back women and girls,” Al-Khafaji noted.
Through the celebrations to mark the International Women’s Day, FAO, aims to recognize the contribution of women as critical agents of change in the global agricultural food chain. FAO will strive to improve women’s participation and access to sustainable labor practices and techniques to improve agricultural sustainability in developing countries, Al-Khafaji continued.
Setting the scene together with Director of the UN Women Brussels Office, Dagmar Schumacher, FAO Representative in Kenya, Carla Mucavi, said the celebrations that marked the International Women’s Day, was a call to action towards addressing the challenges confronting women as well as an opportunity to celebrate successes.
FAO, which works with the government in Kenya to implement policies laying emphasis on fighting hunger and starvation, has noted significant challenges that confront women in their journeys towards achieving food security, Mucavi said.
Speaking about the challenges facing women in agriculture in Kenya, the FAO Kenya Representative noted the important role of women in ensuring food security despite the challenges they face. She gave the example of unequal access to land rights.
Mucavi said FAO is working with other state agencies in Kenya to improve access to land rights amongst women as well as access to other productive resources such as bank loans to assist women entrepreneurs in agriculture.
“Through our country programmes, we support women who are the major food producers. They have a role to play in the land governance programmes. As a result the number of women who have access to land title deeds in Kenya has increased significantly,” Mucavi said.
Encouraging Experiences
The women who addressed the virtual celebration to mark the day talked about significant challenges, including community stereotypes and entrenched prejudices which affect the provision of services to local communities.
Hubbie Hussein, the Commissioner with the Kenya National Land Commission, shared her difficulties acquiring education as a child and facing prejudices while working as a veterinarian within her pastoralist community in Kenya.
In her line of work, some community members would not let her inject their cattle citing entrenched strong cultural believes which forced her at times to employ male counterparts to inject the cattle. However, over time, she managed to convince the community to accept her as a veterinarian and was able to register a local Non-governmental Organization (NGO) which empowers women by fighting negative cultural beliefs and practices such as female genital mutilation.
Women’s contribution towards economic activities in agriculture, nutrition and food processing was showcased during the virtual event, which demonstrated how the various FAO regional offices in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, are working with women to provide them with solutions.
The celebration acknowledged women as custodians of local culture, community traditions and cuisine and their contribution towards helping households meet food, nutrition and income needs.
Mary Mariach, a Kenyan agricultural entrepreneur, said that the increasingly significant number of women enjoying top corporate, state and national level appointments is a significant step which demonstrates the importance of empowering women.
Despite these positive steps, women are still excluded from land rights, and most are unable to attend community gatherings where the issue of land tenure is discussed.
Ugandan soap manufacturer, Joan Rukundo Nalubega, whose company makes and distributes mosquito repellant soap products, echoed Mariach's sentiments, saying women were often left more depressed by lack of confidence on their ability to deliver significant results on their own investments. She cited difficulty securing bank loans and using land as collateral to obtain financing for business expansion.
Member of the European Parliament and of the European Parliamentary Alliance against Hunger and Malnutrition, María Soraya Rodríguez Ramos as well as Director of the FAO Project Support Division, Minà Dowlatchahi participated in the celebration. Assistant-Secretary-General of the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, Cristelle Pratt closed the event.
Every year, International Women’s Day is celebrated to honor women's social, economic, cultural, and political achievements. This year's theme - “Women leading change and breaking biases - Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow” highlighted the achievement of gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies, and programmes.
Information Resources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUeT1WxBIAM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Q1vRMMwKPE
https://drive.google.com/file/d/16PoBo3tpoSb3ek6N26M2XswcusLCyBLV/view
For More information Contact
Dr. Othieno Joseph
National Communication Specialist
FAO-Kenya
+254 721448462
Pauline Akolo
Communication Specialist
FAO-Kenya
+254 790 219954
Arvaniti Myrto
Communication Officer
FAOLOB
+32470426022