Women in Latin America and the Caribbean face greater poverty and obesity compared to men
In Latin America, 40% of rural women over the age of 15 do not have their own income, although they work on a daily basis, unpaid. In addition, rural women in the region only have a fraction of the land, credit, productive inputs and education that men do
Despite the fact that overall poverty in the region has declined, women's poverty has increased: according to the index of femininity of poverty, there are 121 indigent women for every 100 indigent men in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Moreover, according to the Panorama of Food and Nutrition Security in LAC 2016, obesity disproportionately affects women in the region. The rate of female obesity is 26.8 percent, compared to 18.5 percent for men. There are multiple factors behind this regional trend, such as poverty and lack of access to productive resources, comprehensive health services, poor access to nutrition education, and excessive workload, especially for rural women.
On the occasion of International Women's Day 2017, FAO emphasized the need to empower women to reduce their poverty and obesity rates and to advance towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The SDGs calls for greater equality and empowerment for women, not just as a specific goal but as part of the solution to the major development problems the world currently faces, as they are a cornerstone of rural economies and food security.