Post-2015 Development Agenda and the Future We Want for All
THEMATIC CONSULTATIONS ON HUNGER, FOOD AND NUTRITION SECURITY
INPUT FROM UN WOMEN
Gender equality and women’s empowerment are key quality criteria for enhancing the relevance,
efficiency and effectiveness of agricultural and rural development strategies, policies and programmes
in alleviating hunger and poverty. The economic and social costs of neglecting women in agriculture are
enormous: (i) the agricultural sector is under performing due to women’s unequal access to key
productive resources, assets, services and infrastructures critical for food and nutrition security, as
evidenced by the ‘The State of Food and Agriculture 2010-11: Women in agriculture, Closing the gender
gap for development” (SOFA) Publication of FAO; the publication has evidenced the lost growth
potential of the agricultural sector due to persistent gender inequalities; (ii) responses to the food,
economic and financial crises have not adequately addressed gender inequalities while such crises have
exacerbated the disadvantages and inequalities women and girls face, especially in rural areas; for
instance, women and girls are predominant among nutritionally vulnerable populations, despite the
important role of women in food production and processing (iii) the unpaid care work burden of women
hampers their ability to take advantage of on- and off-farm employment and new market opportunities
in the agricultural sector, further depriving the sector from enhanced capabilities for agricultural
renaissance. No gender equality means no food and nutrition security.
The thematic consultations on hunger, food and nutrition security offer an opportunity to bring a fresh
perspective and systemic change into the policy responses for food and nutrition security. Here are a
few recommendations to address gender equality and women’s empowerment in the Post 2015
Development Agenda:

Recognize women as primary food producers and nutrition-care providers, and place women
smallholder farmers at the center of the policies and actions. This involves positioning women
smallholder farmers as leaders of innovations in agricultural transformation, expanding their
opportunities to build their asset base, ensuring their full access to resources, services,
technology and infrastructures, increasing their productivity and participation in value chains,
and facilitating their access to high-value product markets.

Ensure women’s equal participation in shaping the laws, strategies, policies and programmes
related to agriculture, food and nutrition security. This also involves increasing the number of
women in leadership positions in farmers’ and other rural organizations, and strengthening the
gender responsiveness of such organisations.

Reduce the burden of women’s and girls’ unpaid care work by providing improved
infrastructure, labour-saving and productivity enhancing technologies, and care services in rural
areas

Ensure that budget allocation processes at all levels of government and within rural institutions
are gender responsive, and that women can equally and fully benefit from current and future
financing to support rural development, agriculture, and food and nutrition security.