Advancing women’s and girls’ right to food at the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women
©UN
24/03/2025
At the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69), held from 10 to 21 March 2025 in New York, FAO reinforced its commitment to advancing women’s and girls’ right to food as part of global efforts to achieve gender equality.
Marking the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, CSW69 provided a critical opportunity to review progress and galvanize action. Among the five events FAO organized, the high-level “Commit to Grow Equality” event put a spotlight on women’s empowerment in agrifood systems as central to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Lauren Phillips, Deputy Director of FAO’s Rural Transformation and Gender Equality Division, presented a progress report and emphasized that empowering women in agrifood systems is not just a matter of justice, but a necessary condition to advance sustainable development. She outlined the commitments made by partners across six thematic areas, from access to finance and partnerships to data and statistics and support during crises.
In collaboration with IFAD, WFP, and the governments of Malawi and Nepal, FAO also convened a dedicated event to identify pathways to accelerate the realization of women’s and girls’ right to food. Moderating the session, Phillips stressed that “The right to adequate and nutritious food is fundamental for all. To achieve this right, we must address the unique challenges faced by women and girls,” underscoring how they are disproportionately affected by hunger and malnutrition.
The event highlighted FAO’s Right to Food Guidelines and the CFS Guidelines on Gender Equality and Women’s and Girls’ Empowerment in the Context of Food Security and Nutrition as crucial tools to advance these efforts.
Ministers from Malawi and Nepal praised the collaboration with FAO, IFAD and WFP through joint programmes delivering transformative change. They emphasized how these efforts are accelerating women’s economic empowerment and supporting implementation of the voluntary guidelines on the right to food.
Marking the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, CSW69 provided a critical opportunity to review progress and galvanize action. Among the five events FAO organized, the high-level “Commit to Grow Equality” event put a spotlight on women’s empowerment in agrifood systems as central to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Lauren Phillips, Deputy Director of FAO’s Rural Transformation and Gender Equality Division, presented a progress report and emphasized that empowering women in agrifood systems is not just a matter of justice, but a necessary condition to advance sustainable development. She outlined the commitments made by partners across six thematic areas, from access to finance and partnerships to data and statistics and support during crises.
In collaboration with IFAD, WFP, and the governments of Malawi and Nepal, FAO also convened a dedicated event to identify pathways to accelerate the realization of women’s and girls’ right to food. Moderating the session, Phillips stressed that “The right to adequate and nutritious food is fundamental for all. To achieve this right, we must address the unique challenges faced by women and girls,” underscoring how they are disproportionately affected by hunger and malnutrition.
The event highlighted FAO’s Right to Food Guidelines and the CFS Guidelines on Gender Equality and Women’s and Girls’ Empowerment in the Context of Food Security and Nutrition as crucial tools to advance these efforts.
Ministers from Malawi and Nepal praised the collaboration with FAO, IFAD and WFP through joint programmes delivering transformative change. They emphasized how these efforts are accelerating women’s economic empowerment and supporting implementation of the voluntary guidelines on the right to food.