Committee on World Food Security
Making a difference in food security and nutrition
Gender Equality and Women's and Girls' Empowerment Workstream
CFS Secretariat Focal Points: Françoise Trine and Marina Calvino
The objective of the workstream is to develop a set of globally accepted Voluntary Guidelines on Gender Equality and Women’s and Girls’ Empowerment in the context of food security and nutrition (VGs on GEWGE). The Guidelines will provide Members and other stakeholders with policy guidance on how to advance gender equality, women’s and girls’ rights, and women’s empowerment as part of their efforts to eradicate hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition. The preparation of the Guidelines is funded largely by the generous support of Finland, France, Spain and Sweden.
The successive versions of the Guidelines were developed by the CFS Secretariat through an inclusive and transparent process, with the support of a Technical Task Team and the guidance of the Co-Chairs of the OEWG (Finland and Panama). The process has already included several OEWG meetings, six regional consultations and an electronic consultation, and three rounds of negotiation.
At the CFS 50 Plenary, the Committee reiterated its support for an inclusive and consensus-based process to achieve agreement on the Guidelines for presentation to CFS 51.
Final version as agreed by OEWG on 14 June 2023
CFS Voluntary Guidelines on Gender Equality and Women’s and Girls’ Empowerment in the context of Food Security and Nutrition, as agreed by OEWG on 14 June 2023
Draft for Negotiations – 25 May 2023
Documents:
Negotiations 25 May 2023
The next session of the negotiations on the CFS Voluntary Guidelines on Gender Equality and Women’s and Girls’ Empowerment in the context of food security and nutrition will be held on 25 May from 15.30 to 18.00 in the Green room, at FAO HQ, in hybrid modality via the Zoom platform. Interpretation will be available in the six official FAO languages.
The negotiations will be based on the 19 May 2023 version of the Draft for Negotiations of the Guidelines. The file document has been cleaned from the track changes in the agreed paragraphs, and the coloring of paragraphs has been updated accordingly.
A recap of the status of paragraphs agreed – 105 over 114 – and those pending discussion is also available for your reference.
The negotiation process will follow the CFS principles and guidelines on negotiation modalities provided in the Guidance Note approved by the Bureau at its 23 March 2022 meeting. Attention is also drawn to the interpretation announcement for the negotiations.
The Guidelines for Participants in Zoom meetings are available in all languages:
Negotiations - 15-19 May 2023
The negotiations will be held in hybrid format at FAO Headquarters as per the schedule provided below. All formal sessions will be interpreted. The negotiations will be based on the 31 March 2023 version of the Draft for Negotiations:
Dates | Time (Rome time) | Room |
|---|---|---|
15 May | 10:00-12:30; 14:00-16:30 | Green Room, Building A, First Floor |
16 May | 10:00-12:30; 14:00-16:30 | Green Room, Building A, First Floor |
17 May | 14:00-17:00 | Green Room, Building A, First Floor |
18 May | 14:00-16:30; 17:00-19:30 | Green Room, Building A, First Floor |
19 May | 10:00-12:30; 14:00-16:30 | Green Room, Building A, First Floor |
The negotiation process will follow the CFS principles and guidelines on negotiation modalities provided in the Guidance Note approved by the Bureau at its 23 March 2022 meeting. Attention is also drawn to the interpretation announcement for the negotiations.
The Guidelines for Participants in Zoom meetings are available in all languages:
OEWG Meeting - 5 May 2023
Draft for Negotiations – 31 March 2023
OEWG Meeting - 7 March 2023 - WFP Auditorium
Documents:
- Chair's Summary
- Provisional Agenda
- Workplan
- GEWGE guidelines: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish
- GEWGE guidelines - track change version
- Proposed solutions to contentious issues: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish
Written inputs received after the 7 March OEWG meeting:
- Members: Australia, Canada, Colombia, Egypt, European Union and its 27 Member States, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Paraguay, Switzerland, United States of America
- Other stakeholders: CFS Civil Society and Indigenous Peoples' Mechanism, Holy See, OHCHR
Friends of the Chair meeting - 8 February 2023
Report of the CFS Chairperson - 5 October 2022
Voluntary Guidelines on Gender Equality and Women's and Girls' Empowerment. Ways Forward: Report of the Chairperson of the CFS
Co-Chairs' Summary on Negotiations on the CFS Voluntary Guidelines on Gender Equality and Women’s and Girls’ Empowerment in the Context of Food Security and Nutrition
Third round of negotiations - 25-28 July 2022
The third round of negotiations will be held in hybrid format, as agreed by the CFS Bureau, to allow all Members to contribute to the process, with in presence participation at FAO Headquarters in the Green Room and virtually via the Zoom platform. A full schedule of the third round is available above. All formal sessions will be interpreted. Friends of the Co-Chairs’ meetings may be held during the mid-day break and in the evenings after evening sessions, as needed.
The negotiations will be based on the updated Co-Chairs’ proposal after the second round of negotiations.
Second round of negotiations - 27 June-1 July 2022
The second round of negotiations will be held in presence at FAO Headquarters as per the following schedule:
Dates | Time (Rome time) | Room |
|---|---|---|
27-28 June | 9:30-12:30; 14:30-17:30 | Green Room, Building A, First Floor |
29 June | 9:30-12:30; 14:30-17:30 | Green Room, Building A, First Floor |
30 June | 9:30-12:30 | Green Room, Building A, First Floor |
1 July | 9:30-12:30; 14:30-17:30 | Green Room, Building A, First Floor |
The negotiations will be based on the Co-Chairs’ proposal after the first round of negotiations on 4-6 May and 7-8 June 2022.
First round of negotiations – 4-6 May and 7-8 June 2022
The first round of negotiations of the Voluntary Guidelines on Gender Equality and Women’s and Girls’ Empowerment in the context of food security and nutrition (VGs on GEWGE) will be held on 4-6 May 2022 (9:30-12:30 and 14:30-17:30) and on 7-8 June 2022 (9:30-12:00 and 14.30-17:00) in a fully virtual format, using Zoom videoconferencing platform. Interpretation will be provided in the six official FAO languages.
The negotiation process will follow the CFS principles and guidelines on negotiation modalities provided in the Guidance Note approved by the Bureau at its 23 March 2022 meeting. More specific information were provided in the Letter sent by the Co-Chairs of the OEWG on Gender on 29 April .The process will be facilitated by the Co-Chairs, with support of the CFS Secretariat.
The Guidelines for Participants in Zoom meetings are available in all languages:
Written comments received: Colombia (ES), Holy See (EN & ES)
OEWG Meeting - 21 April 2022 - 14:30-17:30 - Virtual meeting
The objective of the meeting is to hear views and positions of CFS Members and Participants on the Draft for Negotiations of the CFS Voluntary Guidelines on Gender Equality and Women’s and Girls’ Empowerment in the Context of Food Security and Nutrition before the start of formal negotiations on 4 May 2022.
Documents:
OEWG Meeting - 21 February 2022 - 9:30-12:30 and 14:00-17:00 - Virtual meeting
The main objective of the meeting is to discuss the First Draft of the CFS Voluntary Guidelines on Gender Equality and Women’s and Girls’ Empowerment in the Context of Food Security and Nutrition.
You are invited to send your comments in writing on the First Draft to [email protected] by 18 February 2022, COB.
First draft:
The comments received before and during the meeting will be taken into account.
Webcast (morning)Webcast (afternoon)
Documents:
Written input received before 18 February 2022:
- Members: Argentina (I and II), Brazil, Canada, European Union, Indonesia, USA
- Other stakeholders: CSM, FAO, IFAD, PSM, PlanetEnergy, Special Rapporteur on the right to food, WFO, WFP
Written input received after the OEWG meeting:
- Members: Chile, Kenya
- Other stakeholders: Holy See, World Bank
Regional and electronic consultations – September to November 2021
The Committee on World Food Security (CFS) held six regional consultations between September and November 2021 as an opportunity to receive inputs, comments, and suggestions on how to best align the Guidelines with regional/national priorities and needs. These consultations contributed to the preparation of the First Draft of the Voluntary Guidelines (VGs) on Gender Equality and Women’s and Girls’ Empowerment (GEWE) in the Context of Food Security and Nutrition.
For more information on the Regional Consultations see the dedicated webpage.
Additionally, CFS held an e-consultation on gender from September to November 2021. The summary of the e-consultation can be accessed here.
OEWG Meeting - 5 July 2021 - 9:30-12:30 - Virtual meeting
The OEWG meeting of 25 May 2021 has been postponed to 5 July 2021. See the message from the Chair of the OEWG. You are invited to provide comments on the Zero Draft of the Guidelines by 8 June 2021 to [email protected].
Objective: The objective of this OEWG meeting is to discuss and agree on the final version of the Zero Draft of the CFS Voluntary Guidelines on Gender Equality and Women's and Girls' Empowerment in the Context of Food Security and Nutrition (VGs on GEWE). The Zero Draft aims to frame the discussions around proposed policy areas to inform the preparation of the First Draft of the Guidelines at the end of the year.
Written inputs received before the 5 July 2021 OEWG meeting
- Member countries: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, European Union, France, Germany, Mexico (Bienestar, INPI, Salud, Semarnat), Russian Federation, Sweden, USA
- Other stakeholders: Academia, CSM, FAO, IFAD, WFP
Written inputs received after the 5 July OEWG meeting
- Member countries: European Union, Finland, France, Germany, Indonesia, Russian Federation, Thailand
- Other stakeholders: CSM,FAO, Holy See
- Provisional Agenda
- Version 1 of Zero Draft – CFS Voluntary Guidelines on Gender Equality and Women’s and Girls’ Empowerment in the Context of Food Security and Nutrition
- Version 2 of Zero Draft – CFS Voluntary Guidelines on Gender Equality and Women’s and Girls’ Empowerment in the Context of Food Security and Nutrition (AR|EN|ES|FR|RU|ZH)
- Final Version of Zero Draft - CFS Voluntary Guidelines on Gender Equality and Women’s and Girls’ Empowerment in the Context of Food Security and Nutrition (AR|EN|ES|FR|PT|RU|ZH)
- OEWG Chair's Summary
OEWG Meeting - 9 December 2020 - 9:30-12:30 - Virtual meeting
Objective:The objective of this OEWG meeting is to discuss and agree on the revised version of the draft terms of reference (TORs) for the Voluntary Guidelines on Gender Equality and Women's and Girl's Empowerment in the Context of Food Security and Nutrition.
Written inputs received after the 9 December 2020 OEWG meeting:
Member countries: Argentina, France, EU, Germany, Russian Federation
Other stakeholderes: CSM
OEWG Meeting - 30 October 2020 - 9:30-12:30 - Virtual meeting
Objective:
The objective of this first meeting of the OEWG is to discuss the draft terms of reference (TORs) for the Voluntary Guidelines on Gender Equality and Women’s and Girl's Empowerment in the Context of Food Security and Nutrition. The draft TORs will then be submitted for adoption to CFS 47 in February 2021.
Written Inputs received after the 30 October 2020 OEWG meeting:
Documents: