IFAD works to empower rural women at work, in society and in the home. With fair access to resources, assets and finance, they can play a key role in lifting their families and communities out of poverty. Reducing rural women’s burden of work through improved infrastructure and access to services is a key area for IFAD’s support. A full 50 per cent of the people who take part in IFAD-supported programmes and projects around the world are women.

The CSW agreed commitments to ensure women’s full and equal participation and leadership in the economy, as well as women’s right to work and rights at work, as a vital step to achieving sustainable development. CSW members also acknowledged that providing equal pay and social protection will create decent work for paid care and domestic workers.

The empowerment of indigenous women – who suffer multiple disadvantages – was the emerging theme of this session.

During the Commission, Khalida Bouzar, Director of IFAD’s Near East, North Africa and Europe Division, addressed the plenary on the issue of indigenous women. Rekha Pandram, a tribal women’s leader from India who has changed the lives of thousands of women through her participation in an IFAD-funded programme, shared her experiences.

IFAD took part in and hosted a variety of side events, including:

Monday, 13 March 2017

Step It Up Together with Rural Women to End Hunger and Poverty

Co-organized by:  European Commission, Slovak Republic, FAO, IFAD, WFP and UN Women

Indigenous and Rural Women Empowerment and Food Security

Co-organized by: Spain, AFAMMER (Association of Families and Women in Rural Areas), International Indigenous Women’s Forum (FIMI/IIWF), UNFPA, FAO,  IFAD

Enhancing opportunities for rural women’s employment: Lessons from the Joint Programme on Rural Women’s Economic Empowerment

Co-organized by: Sweden, FAO, IFAD, WFP, UN Women

Wednesday, 15 March 2017

Interactive dialogue on the CSW focus area “ The empowerment of indigenous women”

CSW Plenary

Empowering rural and indigenous women to achieve food security and nutrition: How can CEDAW promote gender equality and  achieve the sustainable development goals?

Co-organized by: FAO, IFAD, UN Women, WFP and OHCHR

Care policies in the Agenda 2030: Advancing the triple R framework to recognize, reduce and redistribute unpaid care work

Co-organized by: Switzerland, Iceland, Costa Rica, IFAD, ILO, Promundo

Friday, 17 March 2017

Empowering rural women to develop resilient, sustainable livelihoods and communities

Co-organized by:  IFAD, Huairou Commission,  Norway, Nicaragua

Challenges and opportunities in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of indigenous women and girls

Co-organized by: Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, FIMI/IIWF, FAO, IFAD, UN Women

Learn more about IFAD’s work in gender equality and women’s empowerment, browse official documents from the sessions and learn more about the CSW side events here.