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The Gender in Agriculture Sourcebook was launched on Wednesday 15th October to mark the first official observance of the International Day of Rural Women.

This milestone publication, jointly produced by the World Bank, FAO and IFAD, represents the collective work of over 100 writers and reviewers. Capitalizing on the comparative strengths of the three organizations, the Sourcebook synthesizes in one place, knowledge, experience and tools and provides an up-to-date understanding of gender issues and the complexities of linking gender equality, poverty reduction, sustainable livelihoods and food security against the backdrop of a rapidly changing agricultural sector.

The Sourcebook compiles the good practices and innovative activities that successfully integrated gender into their project and program design for sharing and learning. The sixteen modules, including Agricultural labour, Markets and Rural finance, represent themes of cross-cutting importance for agriculture and rural development.

The launch was held at both FAO and IFAD and brought together experts from the three Rome based food and agriculture organizations (FAO, IFAD, WFP) and the World Bank, as well as NGOs and government representatives. The event provided an opportunity to bring attention to gender issues in agriculture and the specific needs of women farmers, whilst celebrating the partnership between the three organizations and the community of practice it generated.

For more information, or to download the Gender in Agriculture Sourcebook see:worldbank.org/genderinag