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• Introduction and agenda
• Opening speech by Mr James Carruthers, Assistant President Programme Management Department
• Closing statement by Ms Mona Bishay, Director, Near East and North Africa region
• Summary of the workshop

Damascus, Syria
May 28-30 2005

Regional workshop held by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Fund for Integrated Rural Development of Syria (FIRDOS)

Rural women have a unique ability to reduce poverty and malnutrition in the developing world. But gender inequality, particularly in the Near East and North Africa, is undermining their potential to become agents of change. The fight against rural poverty depends on increased efforts to redress gender imbalances and empower rural women.

As part of their ongoing work to make men and women equal partners in rural development, IFAD's Near East and North Africa (NENA) division and FIRDOS, a Syria-based NGO, are organizing a workshop to focus on gender mainstreaming efforts in the region. The workshop will provide a forum for policy dialogue and strategic planning on gender equality in rural development, as well as promote operational knowledge and practical implementation tools.

In 2001, IFAD created the Programme of Action to Reach Rural Women in the Near East and North Africa to enhance gender mainstreaming, technical assistance and knowledge building and dissemination in the region. One of the objectives of this regional workshop is to build upon the Programme's experience and gather inputs from participants to help IFAD develop a set of recommendations for further gender mainstreaming efforts in the region.

The workshop's three key pillars of action

Institutionalizing gender equality

The workshop will look at the current policy and legal situation in the region with respect to gender equality, as well as existing efforts to integrate women
into rural development programmes. The objective of these discussions will be to identify areas of progress and persisting challenges and define actions that can be undertaken to improve the effectiveness of relevant rural policies and programmes.

Promoting equitable accessto assets and resources

Improving women's access to productive, social and human assets is key to unlocking their potential as agents of development. The workshop will focus specifically on women's access to water, land, financial services, markets and technology, and identify lessons learned in promoting gender equality in these areas.

Empowering rural women

How can rural women empower themselves to increase their participation in social and political institutions? The workshop will highlight the challenges and opportunities facing rural women and their roles in decision-making processes, ranging from formal
institutions at both the national and local levels, including users' associations, project management and access to services, to the household level.

The workshop will be conducted in Arabic and English and is expected to host a diverse mix of participants, including grassroots organizations, national women's advocacy networks, NGOs, government officials and IFAD project staff. Participating countries and territories will include Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen.

Agenda

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