Women entrepreneurs: Key players in ACP agribusiness development

46 Pages·2015·0.73 MB·English

Women entrepreneurs: Key players in ACP agribusiness development
B r D B
russels ural evelopment riefings
a aCp-eu
series of meetings on

poliCy Development issues
Women entrepreneurs: Key
players in ACP agribusiness
development
http://brusselsbriefings.net
This Reader was prepared by
Isolina Boto, Manager, CTA Brussels Office
Alina Moglan, Research Assistant, CTA Brussels Office
Tarikua Woldetsadick, Associated Programme
Coordinator, LME, CTA
September 2015
1
Women entrepreneurs: Key players in ACP agribusiness development
Briefing n. 42 This Reader was prepared by
Women Isolina Boto, Manager, CTA Brussels
Office
entrepreneurs
Alina Moglan, Research Assistant, CTA
– Key players in
Brussels Office
ACP agribusiness
The information in this document
development
was compiled as background
reading material for the 42nd
Brussels Development Briefing on
Brussels, 15 September 2015 Women in agribusiness.
The Reader and most of the
resources are available at
http://brusselsbriefings.net
2
Women entrepreneurs: Key players in ACP agribusiness development
Table of Content
1. Context
2. Policy support to gender equality and economic empowerment of women
1.1. International initiatives in support of women
1.2. Regional initiatives in support of women
3. Women employment in agriculture
Share of women in the agricultural labour force
4. Women access to agricultural markets
4.1. Making commercialisation an opportunity for women
4.2. Concentration on specific activities in the food chain
4.3. Gender and assets dynamics in specific value chains
5. Limited access to finance and business services: a major constraint to women economic development
5.1. Access to finance is key for women entrepreneurs
5.2. Initiatives supporting women’s access to finance
5.3. Business and entrepreneurial skills development
6. Gender-sensitive monitoring and evaluation indicators
6.1. Conducting gender-disaggregated value chain analysis
7. The way forward
8. Annexes
8.1. Glossary
8.2. Acronyms
8.3. Resources
8.4. Websites
3
Women entrepreneurs: Key players in ACP agribusiness development
1. Context
Agriculture is an engine of growth domestic tasks, they must spend of women’s businesses and thereby
and poverty reduction in countries a considerable amount of time help achieve gender equality,
where it is the main occupation traveling between their home and reduce poverty and ensure stronger
of the poor but the sector is the fields. economies and societies.
underperforming in many developing
countries, in part because women, Many of these activities are not Women are generally less able than
who represent a crucial resource in defined as “economically active men to participate in economic
agriculture and the rural economy employment” in national accounts opportunities because they
through their roles as farmers, but they are essential to the well- face a work burden that men do
labourers and entrepreneurs, almost being of rural households. not. In most societies, women
everywhere face more severe are responsible for most of the
constraints than men in access to Women grow, sell and prepare food household and child-rearing activities
productive resources.1 for their families, yet women have as well rearing of small livestock,
less access to produce resources as although norms differ by culture
Women make essential men to agriculture related assets, and over time. This additional work
contributions to the agricultural and inputs and services. If women burden is unpaid and limits women’s
rural economies. Women farmers enjoyed the same access to produce capacity to engage in income-
represent more than a quarter of resources as men, they could boost earning activities, which often require
the World’s population, women yield by 20-30 percent, raising a minimum fixed time before being
comprise on average, 43 percent the overall agricultural output in profitable. Furthermore, the nature of
of the agricultural workforce in developing countries by two and half tasks, such as caring for children and
developing countries, ranging from to four per cent (FAO:2011). elderly household members, requires
20 percent in Latin America to 50 women to stay near the home, thus
per cent in Eastern Asia and Sub- Women face much more complex limiting options to work for a wage.
Sahara Africa (FAO). challenges in the formal economy
than women in more developed Low rates of female land ownership
Studies show that resources countries, such as: a lack of policies can hinder access to financial assets
controlled by women are more likely and programs to support and that are necessary to set up a
to be used to improve household encourage entrepreneurial activity, business.
food consumption and welfare, excessive norms and regulations, and
reduce child malnutrition, and restricted access to credit. They face Women farmers have little or no voice
increase the overall well-being challenges in starting as well as in in the development of agricultural
of the family (FAO).Rural women developing their businesses. policies designed to improve their
often manage complex households productivity, access to resources
and pursue multiple livelihood Rural women increasingly run including land and natural resources,
strategies. Their activities typically their own enterprises, yet their and diversification of activities.
include producing agricultural socio-economic contributions and
crops, tending animals, processing entrepreneurial potential remain The small numbers of women
and preparing food, working for largely unrecognized and untapped. in public decision-making, from
wages in agricultural or other They are concentrated in informal, national parliaments to local
rural enterprises, collecting fuel micro-size, low productivity and councils, is another manifestation
and water, engaging in trade low-return activities and face of gender inequality, diminishing
and marketing, caring for family particular challenges entering their voice, agency and capacity
members and maintaining their new and lucrative markets and to contribute and govern. Despite
homes. Fields dedicated to food expanding their businesses. Gender some gains for women in terms
crops are often farther from home responsive policies, services and of representation in national
than those related to cash crops. business environments are crucial to parliaments over the last two
Because women must also perform stimulate the start up and upgrading decades, globally only around 1 in 5
1 “The role of women in agriculture”, Prepared by the SOFA Team and Cheryl Doss, ESA Working Paper No. 11-02. FAO, 2011.
4
Women entrepreneurs: Key players in ACP agribusiness development
parliamentarians are women.2 The entitlements, whether economic, during their implementation (or lack
gaps are much greater on indicators civil or family are a powerful source of implementation).
of women’s public participation of discrimination against women,
that are not monitored by the and can limit their access to and Direct discrimination may be
MDGs. As of January 2012, only control over resources that are expressed in family laws that require
17% of government ministers were crucial to starting and consolidating a woman to obtain her husband’s
women.29 Only 8 women served a sustainable enterprise. consent before starting a business
as Head of State and 13 served as or employment or to register land.
Head of Government as of June Rural women entrepreneurs are In some countries women are not
2013. While the data on women’s often thwarted by discriminatory permitted to work at night.
participation as voters is limited, property, family and inheritance laws
women often experience specific and practices. Even when those laws Legislation regarding membership in
barriers to full and equal civic and practices are equitable, women cooperatives and associations may
participation due to the burden of are often unaware of their rights to not overtly exclude women but may
family responsibilities, the lack of land and other productive resources contain conditions that many women
identification documents, limited or fear a backlash within the family cannot fulfill. For example, members
access to information.3 or community if they claim them. may be required to control a key
Social norms and attitudes affect asset such as land, which women are
Lack of conducive legal environment the implementation of laws, policies much less likely than men to control
Discriminatory laws, regulations and and programmes. Even though or to run a business must of a certain
social norms prevent women from relevant laws and regulations may minimum size or have a minimum
starting and consolidating viable not be discriminatory on paper, salaried employees.
businesses. Inequalities in rights and discrimination often takes place
2 United Nations, “The Millennium Development Goals Report 2013”, New York, 2013.
3 United Nations General Assembly “Measures taken and progress achieved in the promotion of women and political participation: Report of the Secretary-General”,
A/68/184, New York, 2013.
5
Women entrepreneurs: Key players in ACP agribusiness development
2. Policy support to gender equality and
economic empowerment of women
Gender inequality is the most Program (GAFSP)’s operations As the world’s largest donor, the
pervasive form of inequality around include gender analysis as part of EU has a crucial role to play in
the world and a pressing human the project design. The US Agency empowering women and girls and
rights concern. Recent decades for International Development we are committed to stepping up
have seen gains in some areas, such (USAID) launched the Women’s our efforts even further. That’s why
as in girls’ enrolment in education; Empowerment in Agriculture Index we are currently preparing a new
however progress has been uneven, in 2012 to measure progress towards Gender Action Plan for development
with gender inequalities persisting inclusive growth in all 19 of its “Feed cooperation, which will be more
and even growing along several the Future” countries. And while comprehensive, results-focused
dimensions, such as the gender gap 95% of the World Bank’s agriculture and better tailored to respond to
in unemployment since the 2008 and rural development projects have the specificities in countries the EU
crisis. Progress on gender equality successfully integrated gender issues works with. We’re determined to
is fundamental for realizing human into their monitoring and design, ensure that women and girls are at
rights for all, creating and sustaining there is now a greater emphasis on the heart of everything we do.”6
peaceful societies, and building rigorously measuring the impact on
socially inclusive and sustainable both women’s and men’s lives.5 The EU formally committed to
development trajectories where promote these values in 2000
the benefits of development are 2.1 International when it joined 189 world leaders
equitably shared. The on-going in a pledge to achieve the eight
initiatives in support
intergovernmental discussions on Millennium Development Goals
Sustainable Development Goals of women by 2015 at the United Millennium
(SDGs) provide an important Summit. By integrating the
opportunity to build on the The European Commission third Millennium Development
lessons learnt from the Millennium EU Commissioner for International Goal (“Promote gender equality
Development Goals (MDGs) in order Cooperation and Development, and empower women”) into its
to tackle gender inequality in all Neven Mimica, reaffirmed EU’s development policy and practice, the
its dimensions and realize the full commitment to making women’s EU has made significant advances in
spectrum of women’s and girls’ rights empowerment a priority. In a high- achieving its global objectives since
as set out in international human level event in Riga, which was one of 2000. The EU is currently involved
rights norms and global agreements.4 the flagship events of the European in global discussions on a new
year for development, Commissioner development agenda. The fruit of
Recently, development agencies Mimica said: “Development simply these discussions will be a globally-
and donors have increasingly cannot happen if half of the world’s agreed, ambitious framework that
incorporated gender analysis into population is left behind. And the addresses poverty eradication
their agricultural programming and reality is that women and girls in and sustainable development, and
their monitoring and evaluation developing countries continue to ensures a decent life for all by 2030.
(M&E). FAO aims to allocate 30% suffer severely from discrimination; In the post 2015 global agenda, the
of its operational budgets to lacking access to the most basic EU supports a stand-alone goal
programmes targeted at women services like health, water and to achieve gender equality and
by 2017. Nearly 80% of the Global sanitation, or proper nutrition. empower all women and girls.7
Agriculture and Food Security
4 UN Women, UNDP and UNFPA, with contributions from DSPD/DESA, FAO, IFAD, ITU, OHCHR, PBSO, UNAIDS, UNESCO, UNICEF, World Bank, WFP and WMO, “TST Issues
Brief: Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment”, https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/2396TST%20Issues%20Brief%20GEWE_FINAL.pdf
5 The World Bank, One, “Levelling the field. Improving opportunities for women farmers in Africa”, 2014, p. 6. http://tinyurl.com/oxcp6cz
6 Commissioner Mimica, “Closing Remarks at the Side event Financing for Gender Equality – Placing Women at the Centre of the SDGs in Africa on the occasion of the Third
International Conference on Financing for Development”. http://tinyurl.com/oxb88ge
7 European Commission, “The EU’s work in gender equality worldwide”. http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/sites/devco/files/factsheet-gender-equality-wordwide-2015_en.pdf
6
Women entrepreneurs: Key players in ACP agribusiness development
Article 31 of the Cotonou Agreement gender concerns and perspectives and participation of rural women
signed in 2000 and revised in 2005 into policies and programmes for in shaping laws, strategies, policies
reiterates that a gender-sensitive sustainable development. The and programmes on all issues that
approach and concerns at every Declaration acknowledges the affect their lives, including improved
level of development cooperation fact that there are considerable food and nutrition security, and
including macro-economic policies, differences in women’s and men’s better rural livelihoods. Training
strategies and operations and access to and opportunities to exert equips them with skills to pursue new
the adoption of specific positive power over economic structures in livelihoods and adapt technology to
measures in favour of women such their societies. The first strategic their needs.12
as “access to productive resources, objective regards the advancement
especially to land and credit and of women’s economic rights and The fifth of the seventeen
to labour market” are of critical independence, including access to Sustainable Development Goals
importance.8 employment, appropriate working (2015) is achieving gender equality
conditions and control over and empower all women and
The United Nations economic resources 10. girls, including the recognition
The centrality of gender equality, and acknowledgment of unpaid
women’s empowerment and the The Doha Declaration on Financing care and domestic work “through
realization of women’s rights in for Development (2008) reaffirms the provision of public services,
achieving sustainable development the recommendations of Monterrey infrastructure and social protection
has been increasingly recognized in Consensus on Financing for policies and the promotion of shared
recent decades. This recognition is Development and goes further. responsibility within the household
evident in a number of international Paragraph 4 recalls that “gender and the family as nationally
norms and agreements, including the equality is a basic human right, a appropriate.”13
Convention on the Elimination of fundamental value and an issue
All Forms of Discrimination against of social justice; it is essential for Most recently, through the Political
Women, adopted in 1979 by the UN economic growth, poverty reduction, declaration on the occasion of the
General Assembly, often described environmental sustainability and twentieth anniversary of the Fourth
as an international bill of rights development effectiveness” and World Conference on Women in
for women. Article 11 states that reiterates “the need for gender March 2015, governments pledged
appropriate measures shall be taken mainstreaming into the formulation to take concrete action in order
in order to eliminate discrimination and implementation of development to ensure: “significantly increased
against women in the field of policies, including financing for investment to close resource gaps,
employment; article 14 acknowledges development policies, and for including through the mobilization
“the particular problems faced by dedicated resources”, committing to of financial resources from all
rural women and the significant increase efforts to fulfil engagements sources, including domestic resource
roles which rural women play in the regarding gender equality and the mobilization and allocation and
economic survival of their families, empowerment of women.11 increased priority on gender
including their work in the non- equality and the empowerment
monetized sectors of the economy, The UN Women, the United Nations of women in official development
and shall take all appropriate Entity for Gender Equality and the assistance to build on progress
measures to ensure the application Empowerment of Women, was achieved and ensure that official
of the provisions of the present established by the UN General development assistance is used
Convention to women in rural areas.”9 Assembly resolution 64/289 in 2010 effectively to contribute to the
and it represented a momentous step implementation of the Platform for
In the Beijing Declaration and in accelerating the Organization’s Action; strengthened accountability
Platform for Action, adopted by goals on gender equality and the for the implementation of existing
Member States in 1995, governments empowerment of women. UN commitments; and enhanced
were called upon to integrate Women supports the leadership capacity-building, data collection,
8 “The Cotonou Agreement”, 2000, pp. 1-180. http://tinyurl.com/odl9zk8
9 UN, “Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women”, 1979. http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/text/econvention.htm#article14
10 Ibid.
11 United Nations, “Doha Declaration on Financing for Development”, 2008, pp. 1-34. http://www.un.org/esa/ffd/doha/documents/Doha_Declaration_FFD.pdf
12 UN Women http://www.unwomen.org/en
13 UN, “Sustainable development goals” http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/
7
Women entrepreneurs: Key players in ACP agribusiness development
monitoring and evaluation, and The International Trade Centre’s and regional offices in Nairobi,
access to and use of information and (ITC) Women and Trade Programme Kenya, and New Delhi, India. Its
communications technologies”.14 seeks to increase the participation of research evidence identifies women’s
women entrepreneurs and producers contributions as well as the obstacles
Important partners in the work in global value chains and to ensure that prevent them from being
with rural women include the Food that they enjoy greater economic economically strong and able to fully
and Agriculture Organization, the benefits from participation in participate in society. Its research
International Fund for Agricultural international trade. helps development organizations,
Development and the World Food policymakers and others find
Programme under the initiative The World Bank aims to reduce practical ways to enhance women’s
“Accelerating Progress towards the gender disparities and inequalities roles in agricultural production
Economic Empowerment of Rural by enhancing women’s participation and trade, thereby improving their
Women (RWEE)”. in economic development. It assists incomes and livelihoods.17
member countries in formulating
The Rural Women’s Rural and implementing their gender and To measure progress in the economic
Economic Empowerment (RWEE) development goals. advancement of women, the
established in 2012, is a five year Economist Intelligence Unit created
joint programme will support a The Women’s Empowerment in the Women’s Economic Opportunity
results-oriented collaborative Agriculture Index (WEAI) is a new (WEO) Index which looks beyond
effort among FAO, IFAD, WFP survey-based index designed to gender disparities to the underlying
and UN Women to promote the measure the empowerment, agency, factors affecting women’s access
economic empowerment of rural and inclusion of women in the to economic opportunity. It draws
women. Each agency brings a agricultural sector. Developed by on data from a wide range of
distinct comparative advantage to USAID, the International Food Policy international organizations in a
respond to the diversity of issues Research Institute, and the Oxford comprehensive assessment of the
constraining rural women’s economic Poverty and Human Development enabling environment for women’s
empowerment which go beyond Initiative, this innovative tool economic participation in 128
the mandate of any individual UN tracks women’s engagement in countries. It assesses the laws,
entity to tackle alone. By bringing agriculture in five areas: Production; regulations, practices, and attitudes
together their know-how, resources, Resources; Income; Leadership; Time that affect women workers and
experiences and constituencies, the use. Unlike any other tool, it also entrepreneurs.
four entities will have the potential measures women’s empowerment
to greatly enhance the relevance, relative to men within their The Global Gender Gap Report
efficiency, effectiveness, impact and households, providing a more robust 2014 18 emphasizes persisting
sustainability of their work on rural understanding of gender dynamics gender gap divides across and
women’s economic empowerment. within households and communities. within regions. Based on the nine
The RWEE programme is The WEAI is a composite years of data available for the
implemented in: Ethiopia, Guatemala, measurement tool that allows 111 countries that have been part
Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Nepal, Niger and researchers to identify women who of the report since its inception,
Rwanda. Each country will define are disempowered and understand the world has seen only a small
its specific detailed programme how to increase autonomy and improvement in equality for women
implementation plan based on the decision making in key domains.16 in the workplace. The index tracks
local context, in partnership with the strong correlation between a
Government and other national The International Center for country’s gender gap and its national
stakeholders and in line with Research on Women (ICRW) is competitiveness.
Government priorities.15 a global research institute with
headquarters in Washington, D.C.,
14 UN Economic and Social Council, “Political declaration on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women”, 2015, pp.1-4. http://www.
un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=E/CN.6/2015/L.1
15 UN WOMEN, FAO, IFAD, WFP, “Accelerating Progress toward the Economic Empowerment of Rural Women (RWEE)”, 2013 http://tinyurl.com/n9muk27
16 OPHI Working Paper No. 58, “The Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index”. http://www.ophi.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/ophi-wp-58.pdf
17 International Center for Research on Women, “Agriculture and Food Security”. http://www.icrw.org/what-we-do/agriculture-food-security
18 World Economic Forum. The Global Gender Gap report. 2014.
8
Women entrepreneurs: Key players in ACP agribusiness development
2.2 Regional initiatives
Women Decade with regards to the a policy framework for Africa in
in support of women following 10 focal points: Fighting the twenty-first century. NEPAD
poverty and promoting economic is a radically new intervention,
Africa empowerment of women; agriculture spearheaded by African leaders, to
Women comprise nearly half of the and food security; women’s health, address critical challenges facing
labour force in Africa’s agriculture Maternal Mortality and HIV/AIDS; the continent: poverty, development
sector, and more than half in education, science and technology; and Africa’s marginalisation
several countries, but on the whole environment and climate change; internationally. Supporting activities
they produce less per hectare peace and security and violence aimed at empowering African
than men. Existing evidence from against women; finance and gender women and improving their lives
small-scale studies across the budget; women in decision making represents one of The Partnership’s
continent documents the numerous position.19 goals. NEPAD acknowledges that
disadvantages that women face women farmers are the pillars of
in accessing the same resources, African Women in Agricultural African agriculture. Recognizing
training, markets and opportunities Research and Development the critical role that women farmers
as men. Investing in women farmers (AWARD)’s mission is to build play in ensuring household food
and instituting policies that close this an effective and transferable security, in July 2009, The Food,
gender gap in African agriculture career-development program for Agriculture and Natural Resources
could yield enormous benefits women in agricultural research and Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN)
for women and their families, development in sub-Saharan Africa. launched Women Accessing
communities and countries. Closing Building on the success of AWARD Realigned Markets, a three-year pilot
the gender gap could help increase Phase I (2008-2011), AWARD project supported by the Bill and
food security and improve livelihoods launched its second five-year Melinda Gates Foundation, which
for Africa’s growing population, program in 2012, with support from seeks to strengthen women farmers’
which is expected to quadruple the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation ability to advocate for appropriate
within the next 90 years. Recognizing and USAID. Its first objective is agricultural policies and programmes
these opportunities, many African to empower the top 10 percent in Malawi and Mozambique through
policy-makers, donor governments of African women agricultural an innovative tool, Theatre for
and development partners have scientists in 11 countries—making Policy Advocacy (TPA). Based on
turned their attention to the gender them technically stronger, better results of a FANRPAN commissioned
gap in agriculture. Several leaders networked, and more confident and input subsidy study done in Malawi
have championed the importance of visible—to deliver effective solutions and Mozambique, FANRPAN has
supporting Africa’s female farmers, for smallholders. Empowering high- developed a theatre script “The
yet these efforts have not always potential African women in ARD Winds of Change”. The play explores
translated into targeted policies in is the centerpiece of AWARD II. challenges rural women farmers
country agricultural plans. AWARD’s first round of M&E findings face in accessing agricultural inputs,
(2011) revealed that its fellowship land, credit and extension services
The Pan African Women’s model is working well. While offering among other things. In 2010,
Organisation (PAWO), was a similar package of activities, FANRPAN together with its partners
established in 1962 and has played AWARD II puts a greater focus on took the play to rural communities
a significant role in building African strengthening the fellows’ research in Malawi and Mozambique. The
unity and solidarity among women and its gender-responsiveness, play was modified to suit the local
during a crucial period in the while adding more opportunities to context in each village. Following
struggle for political emancipation. strengthen institutions, and includes each performance, women, men,
PAWO works in order to ensure full improved cost-efficiencies20. young people and local leaders
and effective participation of Women were encouraged to participate in
in Political, Economical and Social The New Partnership for Africa’s facilitated dialogues. These gave
development particularly in member Development (NEPAD), an African all community members, especially
countries and internationally. PAWO Union strategic framework for women, a chance to voice the
intends to be in the driving wheel pan-African socio-economic difficulties they face and speak with
of the programme of the African development, is both a vision and local leaders and policy makers who
19 PAWO-SARO, http://pawo-saro.org/
20 AWARD, http://www.awardfellowships.org/about-us/our-vision-mission
9
Women entrepreneurs: Key players in ACP agribusiness development
represent their interests at national and sub regional levels, present unpaid domestic work, establish
level.21 recommendations, undertake necessary instruments, reinforce the
periodic assessments of the empowerment of women in terms of
Caribbean activities of the activities carried their right to ownership of land and
In the Caribbean, large numbers of out in fulfillment of regional and other natural resources, provide them
women are employed as seasonal international plans and agreements business education and business
and occasional workers to provide on the subject, and serve as a forum incubators, design public policies
plantations and farms throughout for discussion of relevant issues. and programmes to provide technical
the region with unskilled, low-paid and financial support for productive
labour. Few opportunities have In this framework, the 12th session activities launched by women living
been provided for them to be of the Regional Conference in poverty etc.23
exposed to any type of training, or on Women in Latin America
to be promoted to other areas of and the Caribbean took place Delegates also recommended the
agricultural work. The available data in October 2013 and focused renovation the Gender Equality
shows that in several countries there on gender equality, women’s Observatory for Latin America and
are more female than male farmers empowerment and information the Caribbean, created in 2007 at the
and that large numbers of women and communications technologies request of countries and coordinated
are employed in the agricultural (ICTs). Representatives of Member by the Economic Commission for
sector as farm operators, labourers States and associate members of Latin America and the Caribbean
small or subsistence farmers, and ECLAC tackled women’s economic (ECLAC), whose objectives are to
as producers of cash crops for local autonomy and their full and equal analyse the fulfillment of international
and export markets. Women hoe, participation in all spheres of society gender-equality goals and targets
plant, weed and harvest agricultural and all decision-making processes. and increase their visibility by making
produce, and are an important This commitment is part of the strategic gender inequality indicators
link in the regional food chain Santo Domingo Consensus, which and analytical tools for policymaking
as producers and marketers of establishes a series of measures available to Government and
agricultural products. They are also relating to the role of ICT in gender maintaining up-to-date oversight
involved in fisheries and forestry. equality and women’s autonomy in of women’s physical, economic
However, although they play such its various forms. The Consensus and political-decision-making as
important roles and make valuable agrees on six main aspects: it pertain to gender equality; the
contributions to the agricultural gender equality, empowerment Observatory will provide technical
sector and to rural development, of women and information and support and training for producers
much of their contribution remains communications technologies; of official statistics in National
invisible because the food that they gender equality and the economic Statistical Institutes and Machineries
grow in backyards gardens and on empowerment of women; gender for the Advancement of Women in
small-holdings, the unpaid labour equality and women’s sexual health requesting countries to help them to
that they do on family land, and the and reproductive health; gender process statistical data and generate
produce that they sell in the market equality and the elimination of the indicators selected for the
are not accurately recorded or violence against women; gender Observatory; and the Observatory
reflected in national statistics.22 equality and the empowerment of will provide annual reports offering
women for political participation and a diagnosis of inequalities between
ECLAC decision-making; gender equality men and women in key areas such as:
The Regional Conference on and mechanisms for women’s paid and unpaid work, time use and
Women in Latin America and the empowerment. With regards to poverty; access to decision-making
Caribbean is a subsidiary body of the economic empowerment of and political representation; gender
the Economic Commission for Latin women, the Consensus urges violence; health and reproductive
America and Caribbean (ECLAC) States to accede to and ratify the rights.24
which is convened on a regular International Labour Organization
basis, every three years, to identify conventions relating to gender The Caribbean Network of Rural
women’s needs at the regional equality, to recognize the value of Women Producers (CANROP)
21 NEPAD, http://www.nepad.org/foodsecurity/news/2103/women-farmers-voiceless-pillars-african-agriculture
22 Ellis, P., “Women, Gender and Development in the Caribbean: Reflections and Projections”, 2003, pp. 1-192.
23 “Santo Domingo Consensus”, 2013, http://tinyurl.com/osg6ftr
24 Gender Equality Observatory for Latin America and the Caribbean.http://tinyurl.com/nse6qlr
10