National Gender Plan for Agricultural Policies
Rural women play a fundamental role in agricultural production, food security, the conservation of natural resources, and the sustainability of their communities.
However, they continue to face gender inequalities that limit the full exercise of their rights and their development. These include gaps in access to and control over land, credit, technical assistance, technologies, training, markets, and decision-making spaces, as well as an unequal distribution of care responsibilities and limited recognition of their economic and social contributions.
In this context, the National Gender Plan for Agricultural Policies (PNG Agro) was a planning instrument for the 2021–2024 period, developed and shared by Uruguay’s public agricultural institutions with technical support from FAO.
The plan sought to reduce gender-based inequalities in access to resources, opportunities, and recognition in rural areas, the agricultural sector, and fisheries. As the result of a participatory process involving agricultural sector institutions and people connected to rural areas, PNG Agro was developed based on the principles of participation and collaboration. Its development was guided by a central premise: “to transform, one must also be transformed,” including in matters of gender.
The plan was structured around four objectives: promoting gender-equitable agricultural production systems and value chains; incorporating knowledge management, extension, and agricultural communication; promoting the participation and empowerment of women in agriculture and rural areas; and strengthening the gender perspective within public agricultural institutions.
During its development, priority was given to consultations with civil servants and the target population, validation with authorities and stakeholders, and the design of a relevant, feasible, and monitorable tool. In addition, the Plan incorporated a monitoring and evaluation component to follow up on the commitments undertaken.
PNG Agro set a precedent for Uruguay and the region in terms of sectoral public policies with a gender perspective. FAO’s technical support in this area continued with the subsequent implementation of the Gender Policy for Agriculture, approved together with its 2025–2029 Action Plan. This policy seeks to promote progressive and sustained transformations to build a more equitable agricultural sector and rural environment, where all people have the conditions and opportunities to fully develop their potential.
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