Gender equality and women's empowerment

Promoting the CFS Voluntary Guidelines on Gender Equality and Women’s and Girls’ Empowerment in the Context of Food Security and Nutrition

In January 2025, FAO launched a multi-year programme to promote the VG-GEWGE supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Global Affairs Canada, the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, and the Government of France.

Gender equality and women's empowerment

Commit to Grow Equality

Commit to Grow Equality is a global process to enhance gender equality and women’s empowerment in agrifood systems through financing and partnerships. Bringing together governments, philanthropy, the private sector, United Nations and other multilateral agencies, civil society organizations and others, the process aims to unite key stakeholders to commit investments and partnerships to make agrifood systems work better for women, and transform them in the process.

FAO at the 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69)

The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the empowerment of women. The CSW is instrumental in promoting women’s rights, documenting the reality of women’s lives throughout the world, and shaping global standards on the empowerment of women. During the Commission’s annual two-week session, representatives of UN Member States, civil society organizations and UN entities gather at UN headquarters in New York.

Gender equality and women's empowerment

Coalition for action on making food systems work for women and girls

The Gender Coalition was established to answer the call of the 2021 United Nations Food Systems Summit (UN FSS) to accelerate the transformation of food systems by ensuring that as food systems transform, they do so in just, equitable, and inclusive ways by engaging and benefitting all women, girls, boys, and men, while advancing solutions and innovations reflected in the National Food System Transformation Pathways.

Event

FAO at CSW68

11/03/2024 - 22/03/2024

This year, the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68) will take place from 11 to 22 March 2024, under the priority theme ‘Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective’. The review theme for the session will focus on social protection systems, access to public services and sustainable infrastructure for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, as per the agreed conclusions of the sixty-third session.

Event

The unjust climate

FAO has produced a groundbreaking report: “The unjust climate. Measuring the impacts of climate change on rural poor, women, and youth”. It shows how climate change differently affects people, especially in rural areas . The report is based on over 109 000 households in 24 countries in 5 regions of the world, and 70 years of geo-referenced rainfall and temperature data. 

Investment in sustainable agrifood systems

The Status of Women in Agrifood Systems

13/04/2023

The new FAO report provides a comprehensive picture of the status of women not only in agriculture, but across agrifood systems. It presents extensive data and lessons learned about gender in agrifood systems, with particular focus on how women participate in and benefit from socio-economic opportunities.

Innovative and labour-saving technologies

FAO at the 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67)

06/03/2023 - 17/03/2023
New York (hybrid event)

This year, the sixty-seventh session of the Commission on the Status of Women will take place from 6 to 17 March 2023, under the priority theme ‘Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.’ The review theme for the session will focus on challenges and opportunities in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of rural women and girls, as per the agreed conclusions of the sixty-second session.

International Women's Day

International Women’s Day 2023

08/03/2023

The International Women's Day (IWD) is a global day to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, while making a worldwide call to action to strengthen efforts for supporting gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. The United Nations theme for the observance of IWD 2023 is "DigitALL - Innovation and technology for gender equality”. This year’s IWD theme recognizes and celebrates the women and girls who are championing the advancement of transformative technology and digital education.

International Women's Day

International Women’s Day 2021

03/03/2021

This year’s theme “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world” celebrates the efforts of women and girls around the world to shape a more equitable future and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.