Event

Gender Responsive Approaches Driving Food Transformation

When
Where Kigali, Rwanda

Organizer: African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD)

Co-Organizers: CABI; Global Solutions Initiative; Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition

Accelerating food systems transformation, particularly in a changing climate within a digital era, requires careful consideration of the needs, priorities, and capabilities of a diversity of men and women to contribute and benefit from agrifood systems. While addressing everyone’s roles in production, processing, trading, and households’ food consumption, we must consider how the women are positioned in the agrifood systems, their accessibility to innovations, their vulnerability and resilience to climate change, their agency and participation in decision making and how the policy environment influences all these. Existing laws and sociocultural norms, alongside deeply entrenched economic and political structural barriers, continue to widen women’s underrepresentation in leadership and decision-making roles. Despite numerous political commitments, the gender gap in agrifood systems is expanding.

Evidence shows that closing the gender gap in agriculture would add nearly USD 1 trillion to the global economy, and 45 million fewer people would be at risk of food insecurity. This session will present approaches, strategies, policy frameworks, and best practices that have worked to improve the engagement of women and foster their meaningful participation in agrifood systems. Discussions will also focus on the gaps in equitable food systems and how we can further leverage gender responsiveness for accelerated transformation.

Speakers

Keynote:

Gender-responsive; policies; agrifood systems; inclusiveness; women

Co-moderators:

  • Ms. Dorine Odongo, Senior Communications Manager · African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD), World Agroforestry (ICRAF)
  • Mr. Deogratius Magero, Youth Engagement Manager, CABI

Panelists

  • Dr. Jemimah Njuki, Chief Economic Empowerment, UN Women
  • Dr. Edidah Ampaire, Senior Programs Specialist, IDRC
  • Dr. Monica Kansiime, Deputy Director-Development and Outreach Africa, CABI
  • Dr. Susan Kaaria, Director, AWARD
  • Prof Amos Laar, Professor of Public Health Nutrition, University of Ghana
  • Dr Patrick Kormawa, Director, Food Security and Climate-Smart Agricultural Transformation, Office of the President, Government of Sierra Leone
  • Ms. Nana Amoah, Director, Gender, Youth and Inclusion, AGRA