On Wednesday 28 August, the IGC Secretariat held its fourth Lunch and Learn event titled ‘Seeds of Change: Promoting gender equality in food systems’. The event focused on the gender dimensions of food insecurity,including in humanitarian contexts and against the backdrop of the unfolding climate crisis. It highlighted the vital role of women and girls in building sustainable food systems and explored solutions and best practices that simultaneously promote gender equality, environmental sustainability, and food security.
The event featured Ei Hnin Hlaing, Programme Officer at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and Brenda Behan, Director of the Gender, Protection and Inclusion Service at the World Food Programme (WFP). The session was moderated by Moritz Fegert, Project Officer within the Biovision Foundation's Policy and Advocacy department.
Hlaing began by providing context on the state of food security and nutrition in the world. She demonstrated that the prevalence of food insecurity has remained consistently higher among women than among men, globally and in all regions. She outlined how numerous factors - including limited access to and ownership of agricultural land – impact women’s ability to adapt to climate risk, in turn increasing their vulnerability compared to men. Hlaing emphasized that women are also active agents of change, making up 26% of the global agrifood workforce, and that closing the gender gap in farm productivity and wages could increase global GDP by 1% and lift 45 million people out of food insecurity.
Meanwhile, Behan highlighted the results of WFP’s recent report ‘Unequal Access: Gendered barriers to humanitarian assistance’, which uncovered a number of challenges women and girls face when accessing humanitarian assistance, including lack of access to identity documentation, the risk of gender-based violence and other security concerns. This is particularly concerning given they are often in charge of providing food security for their families. Climatic shocks further exacerbate the situation by leading to increasing levels of displacement – last year, this led to 31 million people being uprooted from their homes.
Both speakers highlighted potential pathways to improving food security for women and girls. Hlaing emphasized the need to challenge and transform the underlying discriminatory social norms. To do so, efforts should be directed towards supporting women’s participation in decision-making and strengthening legal mechanisms to protect women’s land rights. Furthermore, the provision of training on climate-smart agriculture and the implementation of social protection programmes could act as levers to safeguard livelihoods and build resilience. Both speakers also stressed the importance of improving women’s access to resources and financial services, including through the provision of cash-based transfers. They highlighted the Joint Programme on Accelerating Progress Towards Rural Women’s Economic Empowerment (JP RWEE) implemented by FAO, IFAD, UN Women and WFP in partnership with governments, local NGOs, civil society and the private sector. Behan also underlined the need to engage more closely with local actors, including women-led organisations, given their extensive knowledge of the context on the ground.
Following the presentations, the audience engaged in discussion with the speakers. Conversations covered a range of issues, including the emergence of climate-smart agriculture, the critical role of accountability mechanisms for implementing gender-responsive policies, and sourcing and procurement in conflict-affected countries. The objective of achieving gender parity at the organisational level was also addressed.
This event was part of the IGC 'Lunch and Learn' series, which aims to foster interactions between the IGC community, experts, academics, and activists. It is made possible by a grant from the US Mission and serves as a platform for dialogue and knowledge exchange. The events are open to IGC focal points, Champions, and the broader public, including students.