GENDER imbalance has been described as a major factor militating against the development of agriculture in Africa, thereby holding back progress towards ending hunger.
The Director-General, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), José Graziano da Silva, made the statement during a joint meeting with the African Union (AU), at the recently-held United Nations General Assembly in the US.
He called for better representation of women in governance mechanisms and decision-making processes, as well as adequate and equal access to land, financial resources, social protection programmes, services and opportunities for women in rural areas.
The regional outlook on gender and agrifood systems study which was presented at the event was based on an extensive review of existing statistics, gender audits of 38 national agricultural investment plans and in-depth country gender assessments carried out in 40 countries.
The study’s recommendations call for a “gender data revolution” in the agri-food sector to inform sound policies and programmes, and elevating the gender benchmarks in planning, monitoring and accountability.
“We need to put in place gender targeted programmes that address women’s specific vulnerabilities but also their key role in household nutrition and resilience,” da Silva said.
“Evidence shows that when women are empowered, farms are more productive, natural resources are better managed, nutrition is improved, and livelihoods are more secure,” he added.
United Nations women recently commended FAO for its achievements so far in gender equality. In 2017, FAO met or exceeded 93 percent of all performance indicators under the UN System-wide Action Plan on gender equality and the empowerment of women.
FAO and partners are providing technical support to many African countries in order to empower rural women. One example is the Joint Programme on Accelerating Progress towards the Economic Empowerment of Women in Ethiopia, Liberia, Niger and Rwanda, implemented with the World Food Programme, the International Fund for Agricultural Development and UN Women.
The Programme has already enabled more than 40,000 women to receive training on improved agricultural technologies, and aims to enhance their access to financial services and markets.