Developing gender-sensitive biosecurity plans for smallholder farmers

FAO is conducting a series of knowledge-rich webinars on a monthly basis as part of the Progressive Management Pathway for Terrestrial Animal Biosecurity Community of Practice. These webinars cover a host of topics related to the progressive improvement of terrestrial animal biosecurity, involving speakers and participants from multiple disciplines and backgrounds.

The upcoming webinar will showcase the approach taken by FAO to improve veterinary paraprofessional (VPP) services and outreach to female smallholder farmers. Gender-disaggregated assessments were conducted to understand extension service needs of female farmers, and challenges for female VPPs. The work included the development of gender-sensitive biosecurity plans. The approach has been piloted in South Africa, Uganda and Nigeria. Women are an important target group for last-mile animal health services, and they represent two-thirds of low-income livestock farmers. However, the role of women in ensuring animal health is often overlooked.  Women are often not able to access animal health and extension services as easily as men, and only 5 percent of extension services reach women. Prioritizing women’s access to animal health services can unlock the potential of women as agents of change and catalysts for sustainable development of the livestock sector.

Presenters
Emma Alegi, Gender Specialist, Joint Centre for Zoonoses and AMR, FAO HQ
Nafinatu Abdullahi, Veterinary Paraprofessional Project Specialist, FAO ECTAD Nigeria

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