The advancement of women is an essential precursor to overall development. Yet, in spite of strong evidence showing the link between gender inequality and poverty, women throughout the world continue to have significantly less access to assets, services and decision-making than men.

In many of the poorest countries, there is still an unacceptably wide gap between what women do and what they have. One estimate suggests that 70% of the world’s poor are women. In rural areas, where three-quarters of the world’s 1.2 billion poorest people live, women play an essential role in agriculture, food processing, collecting water and firewood and looking after the other family members.

Yet, they often have limited access to land, water, capital and knowledge and their voices are rarely considered in decision-making. In developing countries, women own less than 2% of all land and receive only 5% of extension services. In Africa, it is estimated that women receive less than 10% of all credit given to small farmers and just 1% of total credit given within the agricultural sector. A stark reminder of the low regard in which women are held in many parts of the developing world is reflected by the fact that population statistics indicate 60 million girls are ‘missing’, mostly in Asia, primarily due it is thought to female infanticide or sex-selective abortions. An estimated 5 000 women are murdered each year in so-called honour killings.

In a roundtable discussion on February 20, organized as part of the 25th anniversary session of IFAD’s Governing Council session, international experts will examine some of the difficulties faced by poor women living in rural areas and look at ways they can be supported as they work to change their own lives and those of their families.

Gender equality has been included in the targets of the Millennium Development Goals, which were established by the international community in September 2000. The Goals include a commitment to halving the proportion of extremely poor people in the world by the year 2015. But until women’s economic and social advancement worldwide becomes a reality, hopes of reducing poverty and hunger are remote. Improving women’s knowledge and status is vital to achieving many of the other Millennium Development Goal targets, including those for lowering infant and child mortality, advancing universal primary education and the fighting HIV/AIDs.

Studies by IFAD and others reveal clearly that improvements in the economic and social status of women benefits for other sectors of society.

The countries which have been the fastest to close the gender gap in education are also those that have achieved the fastest economic growth.
Women’s increased income is invested in household well-being and children’s education.

There is a strong link between women’s low status and high rates of malnutrition in children under five. It has been proved that better women’s education results in improved nutrition for their children HIV infection rates are higher when gender gaps in literacy are wider.

IFAD has proved that when are given the right opportunities women can become powerful agents of change in transforming the lives of their families and communities. Twenty five years of experience in helping the rural poor has shown that directing assistance towards women is an efficient, sustainable and wise investment.

To date, progress in reducing gender gaps has been far too slow – one of the reasons for enduring poverty in much of the developing world. Efforts and resources need to be dramatically increased and more effectively allocated. Poor rural women need to have better access to land, technology, markets and credit. Microfinance schemes have enabled many women to start small income-generating activities, which improve life for the whole family. Women also need to be given a greater influence in decisions that affect their lives, and they need better education and training. Lack of confidence reinforces poor women’s inability to overcome their poverty and vulnerability.

But equally, men should be made more aware of the value of women and girls and recruited in the process of eradicating cultural bias and discrimination. Experience has shown that men’s attitudes do change when the benefits of social change become evident.

WHEN: Thursday, 20 February 2003, 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 pm.

WHERE: Palazzo dei Congressi
Piazzale J. F. Kennedy
00144 Rome (EUR)

WHO: Chairperson:
Dr Nafis Sadik, Special Advisor/Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General for HIV/AIDS in Asia, former Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

Discussants:

Mr. John Byakagaba, Project Coordinator of Hoima District Development Support Programme, Uganda

Ms. Jocelyn Dow, President of the Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO), Guyana

Dr. Michael Hofmann, Director-General, Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation & Development of the Federal Republic of Germany

Ms. Amani Kandil, Executive Director of the Arab Network for Non-Governmental Organizations, Egypt

IFAD Focal Point: Ms Annina Lubbok