General objective of the Network
Priority subjects of the Network
Main incidence was given to the following subjects:
Criteria for the incorporation of institutions and organizations to the Network
Institutions and organizations that might take part in the Network
Organizational structure of the Network
The Plan of Action was implemented with eight main activities
National Coordinations'functions:
Functions of the Subregional Coordination:
Functions of the Regional Coordination
Responsibilities of the Technical Secretary of the Network
Advice to Governments on politics, programme and project planning matters :
Food Security and Development of Appropriate Technologies with Gender Approach
The present Report was prepared by the Technical Secretary on the Technical Cooperation Network of Institutions and Agencies in Support of Rural Women, to be submitted at the Regional Meeting of the Network, in Havana, Cuba, from 9 to 12 September 1997.
The Report was divided in three sections in order to open a space for reflection and a joint working action to benefit rural women in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Section I, consists of conceptual aspects which will be useful as a frame to face the role developed by the networks in search of a development with equity and equal opportunities (for women and men), with a renewal interest.
Women's Networks appeared everywhere around the world at the end of the decade.
The World Conference for the Examination and Evaluation of Achievements on the United Nations'Women Decade: Equality, Development and Peace (Nairobi, 15-26 July 1985), opened the way to develop actions through networks guided towards the achievement of stablished strategies. After the IV World Conference on Women, (Beijing, 4-15 September 1995), it is essential to redouble efforts so as to permit commitments assumed by the governments, public society and international organizations to materialize in politics and effective programmes for the development of women.
In Section II, backgrounds on Technical Cooperation Networks sponsored by FAO are mentioned in order to search appropiate mechanisms that strenghten cooperation among developing countries for a better utilization of the different resources of the Region, in the achievement of agricultural and rural sustainable development. As an essential aspect in that development, considering women as producers and households, they are who receive benefits and active participant in the decission making.
Cooperation with the Network on Rural Women is promoted in Section III, making a description on specific objectives and main activities carried out by the Network during these six years after being constituted.
"Networks have a great potencial that has not been totally foreseen: they are windows for new ways of seeing and making things and, they are posibilities to create different ways of organizing and establishing different relations among each one. To work in Networks constitute a challenge for us to re-think and re-define some basic aspects" 1
They are a group of people, institutions and organizations that gather and interact to share a common purpose, suggest actions and have the means to achieve a defined objective.
- To offfer information on interesting and/or especialized subjects to which there is no access through other massive means of communication.
- Their way of organization facilitates the conformation of other informal or formal groups in order to move different resources and make alliances for defined objectves.
- Allow to create spaces of support and solidarity about subjects of interest.
- Sponsor information on the exchange of experiences of human, material and finance resources, among the different levels and from different territorial scopes.
- Constitute a means for decentralized planning, essentially participative.
- Allow to canalize experiences from the basis up to political decisions making levels and from this level down to the basis, in a bi-directional process.
- Facilitate the use of new technologies on information.
- Promote a greater interaction among countries.
- Dissemination of information
- Joint development and promotion of technologies, methodologies and or investigations.
- Exchange of specific technical information.
- Development of human resources through training and exchange of experiences, etc.
- To promote associations comprising the main sector, decision making level, professionals, academic organizations, non-governmental organizations, private sector, rural organizations, and others.
- To explore different ways of financing, starting with the public and private sources as well as ways of joint programming.
A new working instrument, called Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries, was raised-up in the 70th. decade, as a way of taking advantage of the experiences in those countries in search of technical solutions for problems in the development of fishery, forestry and agricultural sectors.
In 1978, at the United Nations Conference on Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries, carried out in Buenos Aires, Argentina, features were defined on this non traditional Cooperation that was founded in the utilization of resources, knowledge and country experiences.
As a reply to the appeal of the above Conference, the FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean promotes the TCN as of 1979.
In order to encourage the exchange of subjects of interest among the countries so as to allow them a mutual enrichment; taking into consideration the existing differences in knowledge and experiences, not always known either in or outside the countries.
The FAO member states unanimously endorsed this way of the technical cooperation at the XVII FAO Regional Conference, carried out in Managua, Nicaragua in 1982; at the XVIII FAO Regional Conference carried out in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1984 and at the XIX FAO Regional Conference carried out in 1986.
The support given by the 33 FAO member states of Latin America and the Caribbean, has allowed Networks'growth in the last years, with the consolidation of
24 Networks in which technical institutions of governmental, non-governmental, academic and of private character and rural organizations participate. Not mentioning the associations with other Networks that benefit this activity as well.
The experience provided the necessary elements to define the conceptual basis and regulations in order to adjust the Networks'functioning; although these may vary depending on the requirements the requirements to make the Networks an efficient and effecitve instrument of coordination and cooperation satisfy the member states needs in the benefit of the poorest sectors and in the search of a sustainable development.
Since 1991, FAO is promoting the implementation of the Network on Women and Development. With the efforts of the FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean; and, with Human Resources Institutions and Agrarian Reform Division of FAO Headquarters in Rome, all the countries of the Region were invited to participate in a Round Table in El Salvador, in order to create the "Technical Cooperation Network on Institutions and Organizations in Support of Rural Women". This Network will be based on the experience of other Networks sponsored by FAO on subjects related to agrarian, forestry, fishery, nutritional problems and others, but being aware of the complexity of the subject and the need to support those countries who officially do not have formal institutional spaces to look after women matters specially of rural women.
The Network was organized with the participation of 27 countries who decided and approved the objectives of the Network, the essential subjects to be dealt with, the criteria for the incorporation of the institutions and organizations to the Network and its structure.
To contribute with the exchange and coordination of the countries of the Region among governmental and non-governmental institutions, women organizations in relation to situation and conditions of rural women.
- Strengthen capacity of institutions and organizations that work with and for rural women in the Region.
- Stimulate connections and union of these national institutions and organizations for an optimum utilization of resources in the promotion of rural women.
- Incentivate policies in favor of rural women using governmental action as a basis, ONG's experiences and and demands of the same rural organizations.
- Organization: promote those associations of an equal footing with men.
- Technology: to contribute with instruments and new technologies
- Trainning: to create more sensitivity in all levels and subjects related with production.
- Legislation: access to productive resources and other rights
- Statistics: to promote analysis on information systems and statistics separated by sex.
- Exchanging experiences of productive projects and others among the countries of the Region.
- Trainning: considering creation of more sensitivity within institutional personel at different levels of a main importance. In this subject the Network might contribute to promote awareness on women and gender perspective, and contribute with appropriate trainning methodologies that prepare institutional personel so as to incorporate them in designing of new policies and carrying out, follow-up and evaluation of rural and agrarian development programmes.
- Organization: Encourage associative actions towards improvement of the basic services increasing opportunities to participate in the decission making.
- Technology: to value systematization needs of information for those who make the work in agriculture and, how they take part in the different crops production and who participate in the decision making for the utilization of new technologies for rural productive units. In this sense the Network will encourage the exchange of specific technologic experiences and will support the essential institutional changes that allow women to be consider according to their needs in the access and use of new technologies.
1. The solid adhesion of governments to the idea and operation of the Technical Cooperation Networks.
2. Institutions and organizations should express their will to exchange technical assistance among the countries of the Region
3. Institutions should be involved with subjects on rural women and rural sector. And, at the same time to have experiences and resources or needs to share that might be satisfied through the Network.
4. ONGs that fulfill these criteria should be estimulated to participate in the Network and share its objectives.
5. In those cases in which there exists other Networks on the subject, they should be invited to join the Network.
1. Institutions that work directly in subjects on Rural Women
2. Institutions concerned with policies and/or planning design
3. Institutions concerned with training human resources and investigation on women and rural development.
4. Rural population representative organizations.
The countries agreed with the implementation of the Regional Network for Latin America and the Caribbean composed by a Regional Coordination and three Subregional Coordinations which includes English Speaking Caribbean Countries, Central America and South America. Also national coordinations were considered, in order to act as countries'focal points with the responsibility of including other organizations to join the national Network.
Mexico was elected by the National Coordinations as Regional Coordination. The countries grouped by subregion nominated the following Subregional Coordinations: Saint Lucia for the English Speaking Caribbean countries; Honduras for Central America and Chile for South America, for a two years period according to the general rules of the Technical Cooperation Networks, described in document FAO/RLA/87/61-Reco-9.
In the implementation of the Network two stages were initially approved: at national level and a subregional and regional level. The main activities of each were the following:
- To promote the Network
- To prepare a list of institutions
- Confirmation of the appropriate authorities on the establishment of a national coordination
- To carry out a working meeting among Subregional and Regional Coordinations, and the FAO Technical Secretary for the preparation of the Work Plan of the Network, that the FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean would be held in March 1992.
1992:
1. According to Technical Cooperation Networks'general rules (FAO/RLAC/87/61-RECO-9), the governments were requested to ratify their National Coordinations. Twenty five (25) countries with a total of three hundred and seventy five (375) institutions and participating organizations affiliated, were achieved by the countries.
2. The meeting of the Network's Coordinators was held in Santiago, Chile, from 28 to 30 October 1992, with the presence of Regional Coordination ("Programa Nacional de Mujeres en Solidaridad", from Mexico); Subregional Coordination for Central America (Ministry of Natural Resources, Tegucigalpa, Honduras); Subregional Coordination for South America (Instituto Nacional de Desarrollo Agropecuaria, INDAP, Santiago, Chile) and the Subregional Coordination of the English Speaking Caribbean Countries (Chief Agricultural Planning Officer, Ministry of Agriculture, Castries, Saint Lucia).
As a result of the above mentioned meeting, Network Plan of Action and outlines on functions of Regional, Subregional and National Coordinations, were formulated, as well as the Regional Officer -Women in Development will be responsible for the Network Technical Secretary.
- Obtain governments commitment to support the actions of the Network.
- Identify national focal points of countries in which governmental confirmation has not been achieved.
- Contact institutions and established regional agencies.
- Carry out a subregional meeting in order to ellaborate a Subregional Plan, operational proceedings, follow-up and evaluation indicators, trainning workshops identifying persons and funds for carrying them out.
- Establish logistic for the functioning of the subregional coordinations with support of National Coordinations which should be in charge of the elaboration of organizing profiles at national level.
- To elaborate subregional projects with the collaboration of the national equipments.
- To held a regional meeting in order to evaluate the work carried out in the Region.
- To publish Network Bulletines with the purpose of giving legitimacy to Network as well as institutions and people that are part of the coordinations. Also to permit the dissemination of experiences within the countries, ways of working of the governmental institutions, non governmental organizations and of the rural organizations itselves.
1. To maintain a register of institutions and participating organizations in the Network at national level.
2. To establish a permanent and constant inter-institutional and inter-sector coordination on rural women;
3. To maintain a register on trainning needs, technical assistance and projects besides a subject that may arise up during the meeting as a need.
4. To promote Network at country level
5. Communicate and disseminate information that each country will produce among Network's members.
6. Inventory of scopes and achievements in the establishment of policies to benefit rural women and to be adopted in countries of similar characteristics.
7. Compilate information regarding research and actions carried out in the country in terms of communication and support to be used in the improvement of rural women's quality of life.
8. Prepare an inventory of programmes and projects attending rural women in the country.
9. Work out a diagnosis of the technical cooperation requirements for rural women in terms of training, production and appropriate technology.
10. Structure the operative technical committee composed by institutions of the agrarian governmental sector, non governmental organizations, and representative farmers organizations at national and/or regional level, as be the case.
1. Maintain a roster of the countries registered in the Network in the Subregion.
2. Coordinate the activities of the Network in the Subregion and inform the Regional Coordination about them.
3. Formulate the annual plan of action by subregion with the participation of the member states in the subregion and FAO.
4. Promote the Network's existence at subregional level.
5. Communicate and disseminate among the member states of the subregion the systemized information obtained from each member state to multiply it.
6. Offer the necessary inputs for the Bulletin, whose preparation will be in charge of the Network's Regional Coordination and FAO.
7. Work out projects to obtain financial resources in conjunction with the regional coordination.
8. Prepare biannual progress reports and send them to the Regional Coordination.
9. Maintain FAO Regional Office and the country Representation of FAO informed about the activities being carried out.
Form of operation: the Subregional Coordinations will get in touch with FAO Regional Office, through the Regional Representations.
1. Maintain a roster of the countries registered in the Network.
2. Coordinate the Network's activities with the support of FAO Regional Office.
3. Compilate the subregional plans and formulate a biannual plan for the Region.
4. Promote at Regional level the existence of the Network.
5. Communicate and disseminate among member states the information obtained.
6. Summarize the progress of the programmes based in the great working lines of the Network (organization, training, technology, legal issues).
7. Compilate and develop the Bulletin in coordination with FAO.
8. Work out projects with the subregions to obtain financial resources submitting them to agencies and international organizations.
9. Compilate and disseminate the biannual reports sent by the subregions.
10. Inform FAO Regional Office about the progress and operative restrictions of the Network.
The FAO Regional Office will assist in the operation of the Network with a Technical Secretary whose responsibility lies in the Regional Officer covering the area of Women. Its responsibilities will be :
- Give technical assistance in the design and programming of the Network's activities.
Prepare, together with the regional or subregional coordinators, the annual plan of work of the Network and submit it for the approval of FAO's Regional Office.
- Coordinate the financial and administrative support of the Network's activities on the part of FAO's Regional Office.
- Coordinate the editing and publication of Circular Letters and other publications of the Network.
- Organize the performance of institutions rosters and other information systems of the Network.
1993
1. In September 1993 the "NETWORK" Bulletin N� 1 was published. It included the presentation of the structure and organization of the Network with information on coordinations in each one of the countries. With the collaboration of the subregions, it presented the monographies on experiencies in Honduras and Chile. The remaining sections addressed issues on women and institutionality, women and organization, women and technology, women and training and the profile of Rigoberta Menchu, Peace Nobel Price 1992.
2. From 12 to 15 October 1993 the first subregional workshop took place in the Caribbean Subregion, in Castries, Saint Lucia, which had been considered in the Plan of Action of the Network. The Training Workshop on Gender Analysis in Agricultural and Rural Development counted with the participation of FAO Regional Office together with the Service for the Promotion of Women in Agricultural Production and Rural Development of FAO Headquartres in Rome, organized by the Ministry of Agriculture in Saint Lucia.
The objective of this Workshop was: a) to strengthen the competence in the management of gender problems of professionals that carry out planification functions in the agricultural sector, forestry and food. b) Work out a project profile for the integration of women in development, in the Subregion of the English Caribbean. Its outputs came forth in the Network, with the definition of functions and ways of operation.
1994
1. As follow-up to the indications of the Network's Plan of Action, the communication on focal points and national coordinations, through FAO Representations in the countries was increased, considering that many countries of the Region had change of governments as a result of an election process. This activity was supported by short missions of technical assistance to the countries. Among them, seven countries of Central America were visited : Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama and Mexico.
In each one of the aforementioned countries, meetings were held in coordination with different organizations and government representatives exchanging information on the status of rural women and on working proposals in issues of major interest for the technical cooperation. These activities where also part of FAO's programming in support of the preparations for the Women's World Conference to be held in Beijing in 1995.
2. A second Subregional Meeting-Workshop took place, pertaining to the South American Subregion, from 23 to 25 August, 1994 in the city of Caracas, Venezuela, on "Women in Rural Development and Decentralization". In it participated Network Coordinators of nine countries of the South American Subregion and of two Central American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Venezuela). It was sponsored by FAO's Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean and the national organization was under the Women's National Council of the Ministry of the Secretary of the Presidency of the Republic of Venezuela.
Its objectives set forth : analyse the situation and condition of rural women in the process of rural development and decentralization and their participation in decision making.
On the other hand, the work of the Network was analyzed in each one of the participating countries, concluding the examination with the following agreements :
- At institutional level : locate in the Women's Bureau of higher governmental decision making level, the coordination for the formulation of policies affecting rural women, working jointly with the unit of rural women of the Ministries of Agriculture and/or its assignment organisms. From these instances promote the structure of the Network.
At conceptual level : define within the Network the basic concepts guiding its actions as well as participative working methodologies and indicators for the follow-up and evaluation of the activities they carry out and support.
- At coordination level, among the different institutions and organizations which belong to the Network, coordinate with other Networks linked to the problematic of women and agricultural and rural development in order to exchange experiences and information on progammes, projects and activities which contribute to define strategies to be applied in diagnosis and design of policies with a gender approach.
At training level : promote training actions addressed to members and Network executives in order to optimize the management capacity ; organize training courses on gender approach and organize technical groups with hability to offer solutions to the problems in the formulation of macroeconomic and sectoral policies affecting rural women.
- At organizational and performance level, request technical and financial support of FAO through the Technical Secretary of the Network, with the collaboration of FAO Representatives, in order to maintain a permanent contact with the representative institutions of the different sectors integrating the Network.
- Obtain resources by means of projects applied for in financial organisms or donors to fulfil efficiently the tasks proposed by the Network in line with its objectives.
- Follow-up on government commitments stated in the national reports for the Fourth Conference on Women, held in Beijing, and those they will assume in the Regional Plan for the integration of women in agricultural and rural development.
The final report of the second Meeting-Workshop was sent to all countries of the Region. In that report a summary of documents on Rural Women was published, prepared and presented for the different Representatives of the participating countries.
3. The "Networks" Bulletin was published in May 1994 with papers on Women and Biodiversity, Women and Communication, Women and Local Government, Women and Traditional Medicine. It also presents the experience of the project of Northeast Argentina with a programme of credit and technical support for small producers which benefits 5.000 families. In the experience, the process of gender training and use of participative methodology, is highlighted.
4. The rosters are updated, configurating the Network's Data Base with different organizations, of governmental, non governmental, international, academic, peasant character, to gather at the end of 1994 a total of 504 organizations and associated institutions or Network members.
1995
1. The N� 3 Network's Bulletin published in December 1994 was distributed, dedicated to enhance the presence of Rural Women in Beijing, their inputs and role in rural development and decentralization. In the issue of women and development, the proposals of the Seminar-Workshop or second meeting of subregional character of the Network, held in Caracas, Venezuela, in August 1994, are described.
2. Missions to countries of the Andean and Central American area took place in order to assist national coordinations in the preparatory activities for the Fourth Conference on Women in Beijing, giving guidelines on the preparation of the country report specifically on rural women. With the same purpose, these guidelines were sent to the rest of the countries of the Region through the national coordinations and according to government authorities in charge of Country Reports, holding communications with 27 countries of the Region. The output of this work in support of Beijing enhanced in some countries the presence of the issue on rural women and allowed the recognition of the Network's contribution as a means of meetings between Institutions and Governmental and Non Governmental Organizations, favouring the solidarity and consensus work with other sectors.
3. In July 1995, took place the Third Subregional Meeting of the Network, corresponding to the Central American Subregion, with headquarters in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The frame issue of the meeting was training for production and organization. Starting from that thematic base, the experiences of country projects carried out by FAO in Nicaragua and Honduras were analyzed ; a special place was also given to the issue on extension policies with a gender approach carried out by El Salvador, through the focal point Institution of the Network, the Centro Nacional de Transferencia de Tecnolog�a Agropecuaria (CENTA) (National Centre for Agricultural Technology Transfer).
4. In conjunction with IICA and the support of the national coordinations of the Network of the andean countries, the first Subregional Workshop of Statistics with Gender Approach was organized with the assistance of the persons in charge of the specific area both in national and sectoral level. A Workshop was organized in November 1995 in Bogota, Colombia, with the participation of the directors of the National Bureau of Statistics and the Statistics Bureau of Ministry of Agriculture of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. The local organization of the event was in charge of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Colombia, focal point of the Network under the direct supervision of the National Coordinator of the Network.
The outputs of the Workshop highlighted the need to review the concepts of household head, unit of agricultural exploitation and production systems, producer, economically active population, employment categories, permanent and part-time work, household trades. Special importance was given to the review of basic variables to get knowledge of conditions and status of women and their effective contribution to production, the access to social opportunities and family environments.
At the end of the Workshop it was agreed to promote national workshops in order to sensitize professionals and technicians whose function is the design of instruments, the conceptualization of systems and the relations with users, so as to obtain changes in the next national census, agricultural and specialized surveys, to improve the understanding in relation to the contribution of women, their condition and situation.
5. The document "Looking at Beijing", "Rural women of Latin America and the Caribbean", "Status and Perspectives 1995-2001", was published and distributed in more than 700 institutions and associated organizations of the Network, in Spanish and English version, as a contribution to the IV Conference on Women in Beijing.
1996
- The advice to Women Units in the Ministries of Agriculture and/or other Ministries, focal points of the Technical Cooperation Network in Support of Rural Women was continued. Chile, Peru and Venezuela were visited, in order to coordinate actions tending to stengthen the capacity of the State in policy issues for women and in the coordination of precise training and research actions. In these three countries, Network meetings were held and national initiatives in training with gender approach, statistics with gender approach and policies of equality of opportunities for rural women were supported.
- In communication with the national coordinations of the Network, the national programme of work was supported, backstopping on actions accomplished in the countries with printed technical material. The work performed in the following countries was highlighted : Costa Rica, Cuba, Chile, El Salvador, Guatemala, Peru and Venezuela.
- A meeting of specialits in Agrarian Law of eight countries of the Region selected in three areas was held and promoted : Andean (Colombia, Peru and Venezuela) ; Central America (El Salvador, Cuba and Nicaragua) and of the Southern Cone (Brazil and Uruguay). The event produced material on the status of rural women and legislation in each one of the countries represented and, the Final Report presents in detail the conclusions and recommendations of the meeting with proposals and strategies for the access of women to means of production : land, credit, technical assistance, training and organization.
The document was distributed in all the countries of the Region, sending it to all Ministers of Agriculture, Agricultural Commissions and Women's Rights of the National Parliaments as well as Andean Parliament and to the Women's Interamerican Commission, WIC, as requested by the participants.
Answers have been obtained from some countries requesting specific assistance and in others rural women have been considered in Agrarian Development Laws and of Equality of Opportunities proposals. It is necessary to mention (Costa Rica and Venezuela respectively).
- The Postgraduate regional course on Education, Gender and Development was promoted, coordinated by the World University Service, Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean ; FAO supported the participation of specialists as lecturers in the course and the participation of members of the Network, both governmental and non governmental. The course had a regional scope and professional level and included three thematic areas : studies on gender in specific areas (education, work and health) ; finally, presentation of agreements of El Cairo and Copenhagen Summits and the Conference of Beijing.
- For the World Food Summit the preparation of information notes, document on women and food security with the support of AIDOS and SDWW was coordinated. Likewise, Non Governmental Organizations representing the Southern Cone, Andean and Central American areas were coordinated and selected to participate in the NGO's Regional Consultancy, in preparation to the World Food Summit, with the support of the Secretary of the Summit. The participating NGO's were : PRODEMUR, Rural Women Promotion (Argentina) ; CORPROA, Professionals for Development Corporation (Chile) ; ANMUCIC, National Association of Peasant and Native Women of Colombia (Colombia) ; UNISA, Service Unit for Women Support (Honduras).
The Consultancy generated meetings with other NGO's to follow-up on summons of the World Food Summit in the Region, aiming at defining a project which considers based on national experiences on women and food security in the Region, the analysis of methodologies used by women of the popular sectors in food security, the knowledge on technologies they apply, problems they face and organization ways. This, with the aim of developing strategies which sustain projects on food security in the framework of the summons of the Summit.
- Support was given to the other areas of FAO's Regional Office in the issue of gender and role of women in food security, supplying information and technical material on gender approach and participating in specific meetings, reaching a major exchange with Regional Officers in relation to the incorporation of women in all the activities of the Organization, according to the proposals of the Plan of Action for Women, informing other Technical Cooperation Networks sponsored by FAO.
- The Technical Secretary participated in the interagency meeting and in the meeting of the Board of the Regional Conference for the Integration of Women in Economic and Social Development, summoned by ECLAC. In those meetings, the Secretary informed the representatives of other agencies of the United Nations System and the representatives of Governments on the Rural Women's Network and the purposes and strategies of FAO in follow-up of agreements of the Beijing Action Platform.
- Coordination with IICA was continued, developing a joint plan of activities based in two issues : a) training and communication, purpose of a joint project for the southern cone, to form trained teams in sustainable rural development with gender approach, in order to give answers to the incorporation of small producers, in face of the challenges of policies and integration and exchange programmes promoted by MERCOSUR ; b) statistics and gender approach, holding the second subregional workshop in Managua, Nicaragua, with the participation of the countries of the Central American subregion. In it participated directors and specialists of the National Statistics Bureaus and Ministries of Agriculture. The coordination of the event was in charge of the national Network, represented by INIM, focal point of the Network, through the coordination of the Rural Women's Commission.
- In the same way, the realization of national workshops on statistics with gender approach was promoted and coordinated in : Venezuela and Peru in follow-up to the subregional workshop held in the Andean subregion, headquartered in Bogota, Colombia (95). At the time, the country reports are in the editing process. The organization of both events was in charge of the national coordinations of both countries, with the support of IICA and FAO.
- The Technical Secretary was present at the XXVIII Delegates Assembly of the Women's Interamerican Commision (WIC) submitting a report on FAO activities in women's issues, in the Latin American and Caribbean Region.
- The Technical Secretary was also present in the 6th Conference of Chiefs of State and Governments of the Americas, held in Bolivia, 2 to 6 December, 1006.
Activities carried out with the support of the national coordinations of El Salvador and Costa Rica :
- In coordination with the Agroindustry Officer of the FAO Regional Office, the realization of the course for extensionists, technicians and leaders of fruit and vegetable processing communities was promoted, with the technical assistance and participation of the TCP/COS/4552 coordination to address the issue of gender approach applied to agroindustry, in order to sensitize the participants towards a gender conscience in the application of the knowledge and in the community organization. The experience permitted to assess the opportunity of the presentation of the issue, at the beginning of the courses for its later interaction.
- Organized in coordination with the Fishery Officer, the Workshop on Women and the Gender Approach in Artisanal Fishery and Coastal Aquaculture, with the participation of specialists of five countries of the Region (Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Chile, Mexico and Venezuela) and participants (men and women) of agricultural and fishery development institutions and projects financed by FIDA of Venezuela. The outputs are collected in a final report with recommendations of implementation for the programmes during 1997 and changes for the servicing of an extension with gender approach. The course, furthermore produced training material to induce professionals to create that type of material which guides them in their actions and promotes the participation of the communities towards the search of proposals for the environment, the food security and rural and fishery development in a sustainable manner.
The final report was distributed among the institutions and organizations which integrate the Network.
The editing of the publication and the "Networks" Bulletin for the English edition, have encountered difficulties due to the lack of funds. These inconveniences need to be considered in order to overcome them during 1997, due the great demand these materials have, considering a data base formed up to now by different institutions of the whole Region ; likewise, due to the need to supply the English speaking Caribbean of material and information on other experiences and technical approaches.
1 Vicky J. Sember, International Women's Tribune Centre. Philadelphia Report, March 1988
