Inclusive opportunities to break barriers to ensure gender equality, improve access to water resources, and promote financial inclusion for rural women are vital to achieve the 2030 Agenda, a webinar hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, aligning with this year’s theme for International Day of Rural Women.

More than one third of the world’s working women are engaged in agrifood systems, but they earn, on average, almost 20 percent less than men and face limited or unequal access to essential resources such as water, land, credit, technology, and information.

In Asia and the Pacific, these issues are particularly acute, as rural women play a pivotal role across food systems, contributing to agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture, forestry, and livestock sectors. However, they often face many of these significant challenges in accessing essential resources. In wage employment within agriculture, rural women earn 82 cents for every dollar earned by men.

Empowering women in Asia and the Pacific to accelerate an agrifood systems transformation

According to FAO’s 2023 ‘Status of Women in Agrifood Systems’ report, bridging the gender gap in farm productivity and the wage gap would increase global gross domestic product (GDP) by nearly USD 1 trillion. This would reduce food-insecurity for 45 million people, at a time of increasing global hunger.  Indeed, improved access to financial services can empower rural women to invest in their farms, diversify their income sources, and achieve economic independence.

In southern Asia, 71 percent of women are working in agrifood systems, compared with 47 percent of men. Despite their active contribution to food security, women are more likely to experience food insecurity than men. Women’s roles also tend to be marginalized, and their working conditions are often informal and labour-intensive, with minimum wages.

During the webinar, Robert Simpson, Special Adviser to the Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative of the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific said that “it is crucial to address gender issues in policies, programmes and investments in agriculture and food systems”. FAO recognizes the potential of rural women and men in achieving food security and is committed to overcoming gender inequality in the region, he added.

FAO’s gender-responsive policy work in Asia and the Pacific

FAO’s regional programmes focus on promoting financial inclusion and breaking down the barriers that have limited their access to credit, savings, and insurance. In the Asia-Pacific region, FAO collaborates with Member Nations in promoting gender equality at the policy and strategic levels while addressing gender gaps within communities through women’s economic empowerment. For example, FAO has employed initiatives on behalf of Members to improve water access for rural women, enable them to irrigate their crops, generate livelihoods, and lead healthier lives.

The FAO Regional Gender Strategy and Action Plan 2022–25 supports these efforts, furthering gender equality and empowerment of rural women. This approach aligns seamlessly with FAO's commitment to the "Four Betters" - better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life for all, leaving no one behind. Indeed, FAO recognizes rural women as agents of change whose engagement and empowerment is necessary to meet the SDGs. FAO’s Strategic Framework for 2022–31 supports Member in implementing the 2030 Agenda and achieving the SDGs – particularly SDG 1 (End to Poverty), SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) – through the transformation of agrifood systems.

The webinar benefitted from the expertise of distinguished speakers, each contributing valuable insights and experience. Among them were Miguel Rafael V. Musngi, ASEAN Secretariat's Assistant Director and Head of Poverty Eradication and Gender Division; Sara Duerto Valero, UN Women’s Regional Advisor on Gender Statistics; Prasun Kumar Das, Secretary General of APRACA; and Jam Muhammad Khalid, FAO Pakistan's National FFS Specialist /Provincial Coordinator Punjab a.i. Their contributions brought diverse knowledge and perspectives to the crucial topics discussed.