Call for Action of Parliamentarians
The virtual dialogue on “Parliamentarians’ response to the impacts of COVID-19 on gender equality, food security and nutrition” organized by FAO, IISD and OXFAM with us Parliamentarians from the Africa, Europe and Latin America and Caribbean regions is very timely and of utmost importance.
We rarely have the opportunity of exchanging knowledge and experiences regarding gender issues in agriculture and food security between regions and this dialogue becomes crucial in times when a coordinated and global action is needed to fight the COVID-19 that has threatened food security and nutrition, and the progresses achieved since the adoption of the MDGs and then SDGs, including gender equality and women’s empowerment.
The dialogue of today can also contribute to expand the global efforts made after the first Global Parliamentary Summit against Hunger and Malnutrition held in Madrid 2018, and to build on the gender work in agriculture and food security done within regional and sub-regional parliaments in Africa, Europe and Latin America.
The economic shutdown imposed to fight the coronavirus is unprecedented and the loss of income for billions of people is already having a most devastating effect on many people. This crisis raises concern for increased inequality and impoverishment especially on already poor and vulnerable populations. Some 49 million extra people may fall into extreme poverty due to the COVID-19 crisis, with a rapid expansion of the number of people who are acutely food or nutrition insecure.
This exchange of experiences has helped us to better understand how the crisis in various contexts is affecting men and women in different ways and can exacerbate existing gender inequalities posing new challenges to women with regard to their roles in maintaining household food security and nutrition, and the wellbeing of their families. Women face greater constraints in accessing productive resources, services, technologies, markets, financial assets and local institutions. This makes them more vulnerable to the socio-economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures to contain it. Women also have less access to social protection programs, such as cash and asset transfers, and public work programs. The pandemic is reducing women’s economic opportunities and access to nutritious foods, while increasing their workloads and escalating the risk of gender-based violence.
We, members of Parliament from Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean,
Recognizing women’s important roles in agri-food systems and addressing their multiple needs as guardians of household food security and nutrition, food producers, farm managers, processors, traders, wage workers and entrepreneurs;
Acknowledging that structural inequalities still persist in many countries and reiterating our commitment to engage in advancing women’s rights and empowerment, and foster their participation and leadership;
As representatives of citizens, legislators and scrutineers of government action, we commit to,
Mobilize resources to save lives and livelihoods and “leave no one behind”, protecting the most vulnerable women and girls by strengthening efficient and sustainable gender sensitive social protection measures.
Build a more inclusive and sustainable world, paying particular attention to children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, older people and other at-risk groups.
Support the design of gender responsive policies and programmes that address existing inequalities and invest in future generations.
Make more efforts to support men and women in adapting their production systems in the context of climate change and natural resource depletion.
For this reason, we will advocate for increased and better investment in agriculture and food systems, and for rural women’s rights to equally access and control productive resources, land, services, institutions and economic opportunities.
We will act as champions for ensuring that the policy responses to COVID-19 and beyond are gender- responsive by addressing women’s needs and priorities, especially in rural areas, including the adoption of mitigation and temporary special measures, if necessary. We will make sure that investment in food systems supports stable and sufficient calorie supplies improved nutrition, micronutrient availability, and reverses the rise in obesity and non-communicable diseases.
We will put in place policy measures to improve the income and livelihoods of women small-scale producers in order to reduce their vulnerability to global shocks and crises.
We will devote more efforts to design and adopt laws and regulations (provisions) that support women’s roles as producers, workers and entrepreneurs in agriculture and food systems taking into account their needs and priorities especially for the most vulnerable and marginalized groups.
We will guarantee the allocation of budgetary resources, and setting up of accountability and monitoring mechanisms to implement programs, projects and policy responses aimed at ensuring that women are not left out by the strategies and measures adopted for agriculture and rural development, and food security in response to the COVID-19 crisis and beyond.
Only in this way, we can avoid some of the worst impacts of the COVID 19 pandemic on agriculture and food systems.
