Forums and community of practice
Mainstreaming gender for sustainable soil management. FSN Forum report of activity No. 161
This document summarizes the online discussion Mainstreaming gender for sustainable soil management, held on the FAO Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum) from 23 September to 25 October 2019.
The discussion was facilitated by Ilaria Sisto and Ronald Vargas from FAO and aimed to collect views from a wide range of stakeholders about the relations between gender equality and sustainable soil management (SSM).
Participants’ contributions fed into the draft of the ‘Guide on gender and sustainable soil management’ prepared by the Regional Soil Partnerships, the Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils, and the Social Policies and Rural Institutions Division of FAO, with input from gender and soil management specialists.
Discussion participants shared their views on the relation between SSM and gender equality, and discussed the distinct roles women, men, boys and girls play in it. Furthermore, they identified some of the main gender-based constraints that hinder the uptake of SSM and contribute to soil degradation, and shared ideas on approaches that would help overcome such barriers. Participants also discussed actions aimed at promoting gender equality that need to be prioritized in the context of fostering SSM.