UN Special Rapporteur, Dr Olivier de Schutter, presented a report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva entitled “Gender and the Right to Food”. The report argues that discrimination against women is prevalent in societies, despite anti-discriminatory international laws. It shows that women are burdened with an unequal distribution of family responsibilities and have less of a voice in decision-making in households and communities than men. Agriculture has witnessed a gradual feminization since the responsibility of providing food for their families is often assigned to women. However, access to education and farming resources is frequently restricted, inhibiting food production and distribution. De Schutter calls for policy initiatives to empower women and announced to the Council that “sharing power with women is a shortcut to reducing hunger and malnutrition, and is the single most effective step to realizing the right to food.” To read the full report please click here or read the exectutive summary.
February, 2013
