Publications
Summary of the FAO policy on gender equality
29/01/2014
Gender equality is central to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations’ (FAO’s) mandate to achieve food security for all by raising levels of nutrition, improving agricultural productivity and natural resource management, and improving the lives of rural populations. FAO can achieve its goals only if it simultaneously works towards gender equality and supports women’s diverse roles in agriculture and rural development. 4 pp.
Women’s resilience to food price volatility: A policy response
27/01/2014
Rural women, traditionally responsible for providing food and health in the household, face major constraints in fulfilling their roles, rendering them more vulnerable to food price spikes. This discussion paper points to two aspects that, in general terms, reduce women’s ability to absorb and respond to shocks in a high and volatile food price setting: the inequalities that create a gender gap in rural development and women’s traditional roles in society and the household. 25 pp.
Good practice policies to eliminate gender inequalities in fish value chains
22/01/2014
Women are found in almost all fisheries-related occupations, and represent nearly half of the estimated 180 million or more people worldwide working in fisheries and aquaculture. But despite their crucial contributions to the fishery industry and to household livelihoods and nutrition, they are often invisible to policy-makers who have traditionally assumed that fisheries are largely a male domain. 97 pp.
Gender Inequalities in Rural Employment in Tanzania Mainland: An overview
01/01/2014
This country profile, prepared by the Social Protection Division (ESP) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), aims to contribute to a better understanding of the types and the degree of existing employment-related gender inequalities in rural settings of Tanzania Mainland and highlight key areas of attention for policy makers conducive to poverty reduction and food security. 64 p.
Ending poverty: Learning from good practices of small and marginal farmers
29/10/2013
In 2009, FAO began collaborating with the Self-Employed Womens Association (SEWA) of India on an interactive and mutual learning process: the Exposure and Dialogue Programme (EDP). Since then, over 50 FAO staff members have had the opportunity to take part in the daily lives of rural farmers through the FAO-SEWA EDP, witnessing firsthand the capabilities of small and marginalized farmers to address fundamental constraints and lift themselves out of poverty. 61 pp.
Training guide: Gender and climate change research in agriculture and food security for rural development
26/07/2013
This guide is targeted to agricultural development professionals who need better information on the ways in which men and women adapt to and mitigate climate change and how best to address their needs when supporting the development of climate-resilient rural communities. 150 pp.
Community-based forest enterprise development
15/07/2013
This information sheet shows how FAO is strengthening the capacities of small and medium-sized enterprises to produce non-wood forest products (NWFPs) while managing the forest sustainably in Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In the project area, most of the people engaged in the collection, processing and trade of NWFPs are women from disadvantaged rural groups. 2 pp.
Watershed management
15/07/2013
This information sheet covers FAO’s efforts to promote a community-based development approach, inclusive of women, to help restore the livelihoods of earthquake-affected men and women in Pakistan. Involving communities in watershed management is essential because communities are affected by what happens in a watershed, and their actions influence the downstream availability and quality of water. 2 pp.