IFAD contribution to MDG 3 – Gender equality and women’s empowerment
IFAD adopts comprehensive policy on gender equality – a key to rural development
ROME, Italy, 4 April 2012 – In rural households throughout the developing world, women and girls work hard each day to protect their families’ basic rights to nutrition, health and well-being. Research shows that they comprise 43 per cent of all smallholder farmers and spend an average of 20 per cent more time than men working on agricultural and domestic chores. Yet they have far less control over the land they cultivate or the income they earn.
Who, then, is safeguarding their fundamental right to a decent livelihood and enabling them to realize their development potential?
While the international community as a whole must answer that question, IFAD’s Executive Board offered its response yesterday. After extensive deliberations, the board approved a new policy that places gender equality and women’s empowerment at the heart of the organization’s ambitious strategic plans for reducing rural poverty.
Since its founding in 1978, IFAD has increasingly made overcoming gender inequalities and empowering women a cornerstone of its operations. As a consequence, it is at the forefront of work on gender issues in the context of agricultural and rural development. The new policy recognizes and endorses this commitment at the organization’s highest level.
IFAD believes that rural poverty is deeply rooted in the imbalance between what women do and what they have. IFAD’s experience shows that:
- Women’s empowerment benefits not only women themselves but also their families and communities.
- Women are dynamic organizers and participants in grassroots organizations, effective at promoting and sustaining local self-help initiatives.
- Farm productivity increases when women have access to agricultural inputs and relevant knowledge.
- malnutrition and mortality among both boys and girls are reduced when girls get greater access to primary and secondary education.
- There is a strong correlation between women’s literacy and lower HIV/AIDS infection rates.
- Women have a strong track record as prudent savers and borrowers in microfinance programmes, using income to benefit the entire household.
Building women’s capabilities and addressing gender inequalities are crucial factors in enabling them to transform their lives and the lives of their families and communities. What’s more, women’s roles are fundamental to addressing the household food security and nutrition goals that are central to IFAD’s mandate. For all of these reasons, IFAD makes special effort to mainstream gender in their work, and to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment through their programmes.
