UN launches new programme to empower rural women and girls

The United Nations last Thursday launched a programme to empower poor rural women through economic integration and food security initiatives. The programme, “Accelerating Progress Toward the Economic Empowerment of Rural Women”, is a five-year initiative.
It will be carried out jointly by the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women); the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO); the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD); and the World Food Programme (WFP).
It will be implemented initially in Ethiopia, Guatemala, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Nepal, Niger, and Rwanda. “When women are empowered and can claim their rights and access to land, leadership, opportunities and choices – economies grow, food security is enhanced, and prospects are improved for current and future generations,” said UN Women Executive Director, Under- Secretary General Michelle Bachelet. Women are central to the development of rural areas and to national economies. They make up 43 per cent of the agricultural workforce worldwide, and as much as 70 per cent in some countries.
Often working longer hours than men, rural women are also the caregivers who look after children, the elderly, and the sick. In addition, many rural women are small business entrepreneurs and investors who dedicate most of their earnings to the well-being of their families and societies. But despite some progress, most rural women and girls are still struggling. They typically face more obstacles than men in gaining access to public services, social protection, decent employment opportunities, and markets and other institutions.
If women had the same access to resources as men, they could increase farm yields. When women are empowered – economically and socially – they become leaders and agents of change for economic growth, social progress, and sustainable development.

Food security for all
To address these issues, the joint programme will focus on four goals: improving food and nutrition security, increasing incomes, enhancing leadership and participation in rural institutions, and creating a more responsive policy environment at national and international levels.
Together, UN Women, FAO, IFAD and WFP will generate synergies that capitalise on each agency’s mandate to advance gender equality. Gender equality and rural women’s empowerment are central to FAO’s mandate to achieve food security for all. FAO works with governments and other partners to raise levels of nutrition, better the lives of rural populations, and improve agricultural productivity while contributing to the growth of the world economy.
With FAO’s support to national governments, several countries have adopted national food and agricultural policies and action plans that fully integrate women’s and men’s needs. FAO works with national statistical offices in the collection, analysis, and use of gender disaggregated data to give more visibility to rural women’s economic and agricultural contributions. As a leader of several global food and nutrition initiatives, such as the Committee on World Food Security, the Alliance Against Hunger and Malnutrition, and the Improved Global Governance for Hunger Reduction, FAO works to ensure that gender equality and women’s empowerment are prominently featured in international debates and actions.