9th African Regional Conference on Women (Beijing+20 Review) kicks off
FAO: Investing in African women, the key to inclusive growth and improved nutrition in Africa
18 November 2014 – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Over 30 Ministers of Gender Ministries, Government Representatives, Members of Parliament, Observers from Women’s Groups, Civil Society Organizations, Academic Institutions, Media and Experts from other Organizations gather in Addis Ababa for the 9th African Regional Conference on Women(Beijing+20 Review), this week.
51 African Member States attend this Beijing+20 review process coordinated at the regional level by UNECA with the active engagement of Member States and in collaboration with AUC, UN Women, FAO and other UN Agencies in Addis.
The Conference will discuss the consolidated regional report for endorsement in view of the 2015 United Nations Commission on the Status of Women which will carry out a global review and appraisal of the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action 20 years after its adoption.
Women in agriculture
Agriculture plays a predominant role in promoting women’s empowerment, and in alleviating hunger, malnutrition and rural poverty. In Africa, women are bound to agriculture for their livelihoods and food security. In essence, women’s important contributions to agricultural growth from food production to agro processing and agro industries in Africa cannot be overemphasized.
“If women had the same access to productive resources as men, they could increase yields on their farms by 20-30 percent and raise total agricultural outputs by 2.5 to 4% and this could lift an estimated 100-150 million people out of hunger worldwide. This underscores the need to highlight the contribution of rural women and women in agriculture to developments in their respective countries”, said Ms Tacko Ndiaye, FAO Africa Region Senior Officer for Gender, Equality and Rural Development.
FAO addresses gender inequalities across all areas of our work, in order to achieve the three main goals of eradicating hunger and malnutrition; eliminating poverty; and ensuring sustainable management and utilization of natural resources.
“Food production and rural incomes could increase significantly if we can reduce the gender gaps in agriculture. This would bring us closer to our goal of ending hunger and achieving sustainable food security’’, added Ms Tacko.
The Beijing Plus 20 Conference provides a great opportunity to advocate for agricultural growth and transformation that fully benefit women, including young women. With the renewed international interest in agriculture and rural development as engines of economic growth, the coming years should see rural women finally becoming equal partners with men in development.
The 9th Regional Conference on Women is organized in two segments, a preparatory two-day technical experts' meeting (17 to 18 November) and a Ministerial session which will run for one day (19 November 2014).
The technical experts' meeting is aimed at informing the discussions and deliberations of the Ministers as well as to validate the results and recommendations of the Regional Review Report. The discussions of the expert meeting will revolve around the gains, challenges and emerging issues that will help to forge innovative strategies for the gender development agenda needed for Africa's transformation.
More information:
State of Food and Agriculture in the World 2014
Herbert K. MUHIRE
Communications, FAO-Rwanda
Email: [email protected]
Tel: +250 788 308 254