FAO's work in the region

Guided by the FAO Policy on Gender Equality 2020–2030 and the FAO Strategic Framework 2022–2031, the Organization collaborates with governments and partners across the region to promote gender-responsive policies, programmes, and investments. These efforts strengthen women’s access to resources, knowledge, and leadership in agriculture and rural development. This work is particularly relevant in the context of the International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026, which spotlights the essential, and often unrecognized, roles women play across agrifood systems.

FAO supports gender equality and women’s empowerment in the region through:

• Policy support, contributing to gender-responsive policy processes, platforms and regional cooperation;
• Evidence generation, producing and sharing data, analysis and knowledge products, including Country Gender Assessments, to inform decision-making and advocacy;
• Capacity development, strengthening skills, tools, and institutional mechanisms within FAO and among national partners to integrate gender into programmes and operations;
• Awareness raising and strategic communication, increasing the visibility of rural women’s roles and contributions through partnerships and outreach.

At the country level, programmes support women’s economic empowerment and address context-specific barriers that limit their participation and leadership.

Stories of empowerment

Publications

Multimedia