The trio of United Nations (UN) agencies, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and World Food Programme (WFP) have said that rural women empowerment is
fundamental for achieving the 2030 agenca, reports NaijaAgroNet.
As
said by the leaders of these organisations, the world that women and girls play
a crucial role in achieving the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development,
in particular, the goal of eradicating hunger and extreme poverty become more
realistic.
The
leaders of these agencies made this joint statement in commemoration of International Women's Day by reinforcing their commitments to step
up efforts to invest in the capacities of rural women as key agents of change
in building a world without hunger.
"Women
play a critical role in agriculture and food systems - not just as farmers, but
also as food producers, traders and managers," said FAO Director-General
José Graziano da Silva on the occasion of the Day. "However, women still
face major constraints in rural labour markets and in agricultural value
chains. They are more likely to be in poorly paid jobs, without legal or social
protection. This limits women's capacity to advance their skills, earn incomes
and access employment opportunities."
Graziano
da Silva noted that the future of global food security depends on unleashing
women's potential. "Achieving gender equality and empowering women are
crucial ingredients in the fight against extreme poverty, hunger and
malnutrition which is strongly recognized by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development," he said.
IFAD
President Kanayo F. Nwanze said, "We need to face the fact that we will
never overcome poverty and hunger without empowering rural women."
For
him, there are ample evidence from around the world that greater empowerment of
women in rural and urban areas leads to higher economic growth and a better
quality of life for women and men alike.
“Despite
progress, it is still the case today that rural women's double burden of farm
labour and unpaid domestic work prevents them from participating fully and
fairly in income-generating activities. Improving rural women's access to
technologies that save time and labour is essential to reducing their
workloads. Transforming gender relations within the family is also crucial to
empowering women and enabling them to make decisions about their lives,"
he said.
WFP
Executive Director Ertharin Cousin said, "Empowering women
economically is one of the key steps to realizing gender equality and achieving
Zero Hunger. The changing world of work - as patterns of economic activity
shift - provides the opportunity to achieve these goals.
"Ensuring
women have adequate access to land, tools, fertilizers and credit improves
their lives and the lives of their families; potentially freeing millions from
hunger. We also know that school meals are a powerful incentive to keep girls
in class, boosting their chances of completing school and finding employment.
Enabling women to seize these opportunities will transform lives and help bring
the Sustainable Development Goals within reach," she said.
Isaac Oyimah/GEE
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