By Radwan Jakeem<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NEW YORK, 13 April 2023 (IDN) \u2014 The UN\u2019s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is convinced that equalizing the playing field for women in the agriculture and food sectors could boost growth and feed millions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is estimated that more than one-third of women are employed in agrifood systems, which include food and non-food agricultural products as well as related activities such as food storage, transportation, processing and distribution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to a new FAO report<\/a>, gender inequalities, including lack of access to knowledge and resources and a higher unpaid care burden, explain a 24 per cent productivity gap between men and women farmers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the agricultural sector, women are also paid nearly 20 per cent less than men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf we tackle the gender inequalities endemic in agrifood systems and empower women, the world will take a leap forward in addressing the goals of ending poverty and creating a world free from hunger\u201d, said FAO<\/a> Director-General Qu Dongyu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite growing global hunger, FAO estimates that closing the gender gap in farm productivity and wage gap in agricultural employment would increase global gross domestic product by nearly $1 trillion and reduce food insecurity by 45 million people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Inequalities due to structural factors<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The report shows that women\u2019s access to land, services, credit and digital technology lags behind men\u2019s, while a greater burden of unpaid care limits their opportunities for education, training and employment. According to FAO, discriminatory social norms hinder women from making equal contributions to agriculture and food by strengthening gender barriers to knowledge, resources and social networks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is still necessary to ensure that women own land in proportion to men in many countries and that legal frameworks protect their rights, the report says. The authors of the paper describe the slow pace of change in terms of women farmers\u2019 access to livestock and essentials like irrigation and fertilizers as alarming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In agrifood systems, women\u2019s roles are marginalized and their working conditions are worse than\u2014irregular, informal, part-time, low-skilled, or labour-intensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Boosting growth and curbing hunger<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the UN food agency, \u201cchallenges to women\u2019s full and equal participation in society\u201d. The employment in agrifood systems holds back productivity and perpetuates wage gaps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A level playing field for farm productivity and agricultural wages would add 1 percent to global gross domestic product, or almost $1 trillion, and reduce food insecurity by two percentage points, benefiting 45 million people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n