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Elita Chikwati
Features Editor

The United Nations has called for strong political commitment and increased and accelerated investments in gender equality and women’s empowerment to improve food security, livelihoods and economic and social well-being for all.

According to the UN, women play a crucial role in rural economies and agrifood systems and therefore it becomes important to address the gender gap in financing to ensure an inclusive and equitable rural development.

The solutions, according to the UN agencies, lie in investing in women’s and girls’ capacity through education, developing leadership skills and addressing discriminatory social norms that limit their opportunities.

Strengthening land rights for women has also been identified as essential in ensuring women’s equal access to resources, including financial and extension services, to bridge productivity gaps.

In a joint statement on the commemorations of International Women’s Day, the UN agencies International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Africa Organisation (FAO) said investing in gender equality and women’s empowerment would generate economic growth, food security, income opportunities and better lives, particularly in rural areas where most of the world’s vulnerable people live.

IFAD vice president, Gerardine Mukeshimana said closing the gender gap could boost food production.

“Closing the gender gaps in farm productivity and wages within agrifood systems could boost the global domestic product by 1 percent, representing nearly US$1 trillion, and decrease global food insecurity levels, leading to 45 million more people being food-secure, according to the 2023 FAO status of women in agrifood systems report.

“Investing in women means investing in sustainable development. The return on investment isn’t just being able to beat poverty and inequality but building stronger institutions, economies and entire communities,” she said.

FAO deputy director general, Maria Helena Semedo said bridging the gender gap not only empowered women but could also have significant benefits for their households and communities.

WFP assistant executive director, programme operations Valerie Guarnieri, said investing in women and girls meant nurturing entire communities.

“We can win the battle against hunger and malnutrition by empowering and supporting women to take the lead,” she said.

Today, only four percent of total bilateral aid is dedicated to programmes with gender equality as the principal objective, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) 2022 Gender Snapshot.

The existing funding gap to achieve gender equality in key areas, including reaching the Sustainable Development Goals to end hunger and poverty and supporting equal participation of women in societies by 2030, is about US$360 billion annually in 48 developing countries (FAO 2023).

Agrifood systems are an important source of income for women in many countries.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, for example, 66 percent of women’s employment is in agrifood systems, and in southern Asia, it is as much as 71 percent. Women are essential to global, regional and national food security (FAO 2023).

Women’s unequal status, due to discriminatory social norms however leaves them vulnerable to hunger and poverty.

In 2022, 388 million women and girls lived in extreme poverty and 27.8 percent of women were moderately or severely food insecure.

This overall picture of gender disparity is starkly evident in rural areas. Limited access to assets and agricultural inputs generates a land productivity gender gap, with a 24 percent difference between productivity from female versus male-managed farms of the same size.

Meanwhile, in collaboration, with IFAD and WFP, FAO plans to launch a major global initiative to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment at the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, which will take place from March 11 to 22 to harnessing the momentum generated by the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) “Voluntary Guidelines on Gender Equality and Women’s and Girls’ Empowerment in Food Security and Nutrition” endorsed in 2023 and the 2023 FAO “Status of women in agrifood systems” report.