Women’s Empowerment in the Context of Food security and Nutrition

A Forum on Women’s Empowerment in the context of Food Security and Nutrition was held on 25 September 2017 at FAO in Rome to promote a shared understanding of how issues related to women’s economic empowerment in the context of food security and nutrition are evolving. The Forum also contributed to promoting mutual accountability towards the full realization of women’s rights, achieving gender equality and women's empowerment for the attainment of all Sustainable Development Goals - especially SDG1, SDG2, SDG5, SDG8 and SDG17 - and strengthening synergies among these goals in policy and programme frameworks for countries.

Taking into account the recommendations of the policy roundtable on “Gender, Food Security and Nutrition” held at CFS 37 in 2011, the Forum drew attention to the need for governments to stand behind their commitments to ensure the equal rights of men and women, boys and girls in the context of food security and nutrition by translating those commitments into national policies, programmes, investments and adequate human and financial resources.

The Forum also highlighted the need to work towards the implementation of UN General Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) , and emphasized the importance of mainstreaming gender equality, women’s and girls’ rights and women's empowerment in the context of food security and nutrition in all CFS work streams, products and documents.