A call for gender equality in the field by means of public policies
Mexico City, April 23, 2015 (IICA). Pubic policies that promote gender equality in rural areas from the point of view of development and transformation are needed to generate economic and social opportunities for female farmers. This was the main point made by Gloria Abraham, Representative in Mexico of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), during a panel discussion on perspectives on gender in the field.
Through the technical cooperation it provides in 34 countries, Abraham explained, IICA promotes rural women’s empowerment to help them achieve gender equality in the field, and focuses its attention on the most vulnerable segments, such as indigenous peoples.
The panel Abraham participated in was part of the Second Global Forum for Food and Agriculture Expectations 2015, which is taking place in Mexico’s capital and was inaugurated by Enrique Martínez y Martínez, Secretary of Agriculture of Mexico.
IICA’s Representative stated that 50% of rural women in Mexico are involved in self-feeding activities and are not a part of the economic production-consumption cycle. This percentage, she said, is higher than the 43% average in developing countries and the 20% global average.
She noted that women dedicate 89 hours a week to agricultural work, compared to 58 hours for men, representing a 65% difference.
Abraham added that IICA initiatives such as the Unleashing Local Energies action-training program, the Thrifty Women in Action program, and the Gender, Climate Change and Social Vulnerability program have proven the profitability of integrating women into commercial chains.
She also stressed the importance of promoting equal access to land, water, and other assets such as loans and technical assistance for both men and women. Additionally, she stated that women’s access to family agriculture and State support instruments must be facilitated, even in cases where women do not own the plot of land.
She advocated in favor of governmental programs promoting joint activities amongst women in areas that add value to primary production.
Abraham and Nuvia Mayorga, Director General of the National Commission for the Development of Indigenous Communities (CDI), agreed that poverty in rural areas primarily affects women.
Spotlight on a Food and Agriculture Information System
During his opening speech at the Second Global Forum for Food and Agriculture Expectations 2015, Enrique Martínez y Martínez, Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA) of Mexico, asserted that SAGARPA drives food and agriculture information systems to measure supply and demand rates for the country’s main products and in turn contribute to improving production planning.
These systems, he said, facilitate the creation of public policies and improve the planning and organization of agricultural markets.
He highlighted the role that the Agrifood and Fisheries Information Service (SIAP) plays in compiling, organizing, and systematizing data, because their statistics contribute to improving attention to agricultural producers.
The Food and Agriculture Control Panel, which has helped to provide measuring tools for rates of supply and demand for the country’s main products, was also presented during the forum.
Legislators, government officials, ambassadors, and representatives from international organizations such as IICA attended the activity.
More information:
gloria.abraham@iica.int