World Rural Women’s Day 2003
“Towards greater access to land and water”RECOMMENDATIONS FROM WOMEN FARMERS
Today, women farmers are still subject to a good number of inequalities, particularly in terms of access to and control of natural and production resources. These inequalities, which vary depending on the national context, do not allow women farmers, except with an enormous effort, to assure their fundamental role in the survival and well being of their family unit and their community, and in the sustainable development of the nation and the world as a whole.
Guaranteeing rights of access to land and water often leads to more efficient and appropriate farming of agricultural land. This also facilitates access to credit when that credit needs to be guaranteed with property. An engine of progress then comes into play: access to and control of land and water and the right to credit opens the way to increased production and sustainable agricultural development.
In the framework of the World Rural Women’s Day 2003, the IFAP standing committee on women in agriculture recommends challenging public authorities and international decision makers on the following points:
- To ensure food security, women farmers need policies that favour access to land and water and that guarantee these rights as well as access to credit at reasonable rates. To improve productivity and to allow women farmers to develop the non agricultural activities that provide them with an additional source of income, it is essential to facilitate their access to, and control of, the resources and technologies that are most appropriate to their living conditions.
- At a legislative level, numerous efforts still have to be made in many countries on the rights of women farmers, their professional status and their inheritance rights. We encourage governments to take suitable measures to recognise women farmers as professionals in the world of agriculture. Farmers’ organisations should also adapt their statutes to ensure women are represented in their management bodies, with the result that more consideration will be given to women’s difficulties in accessing resources.
- It is necessary to facilitate women farmers’ access to knowledge and training, along with general and technical information. In addition to improving their production and optimising the use of the natural resources they have, this will also raise awareness of their potential, their contribution and their needs.
Furthermore, in a more general way in its advocacy of women farmers rights throughout the world, the IFAP standing committee on women in agriculture recommends:
More resources being allocated to agriculture…
Sustainable agriculture, rural development and agricultural research, particularly directed to women farmers, should receive the priority they so much need in order to achieve the United Nations objectives to reduce the number of people living in poverty by half. It is therefore essential to curb the tendency to deprive agriculture of financial resources, whether it be in national budgets or international development funds.
More integrated rural development plans…
The lack of a basic institutional framework and of political incentives in a large number of countries represent significant barriers to the economic survival of family farms and notably those managed by women. It would be advisable to increase investment in integrated rural development plans (economic and social infrastructures, development of enterprises, improving the capabilities of the local administration), in partnership with the local authorities, producer organisations and private and public sectors.
Reinforcing women farmers’ abilities…
The UN and the Bretton Woods institutions should, in co-operation with the various stakeholders, create a fund in every region aimed at strengthening women farmers’ abilities to take more responsibility for establishing sustainable agriculture. Furthermore, these institutions should also direct international co-operation funds towards bodies representing women farmers that will ensure resources are more effectively allocated to their real needs.
Governments genuinely co-operating with farmers’ organisations…
The UN should set up an institutional framework designed to facilitate establishing partnerships between the various key players in agriculture and national governments. This would facilitate a process where governments are able to work efficiently and transparently with the representatives of the farmers’ organisations in their respective countries. Governments have to take a positive approach to improving the living conditions of women farmers.
Decisions being made in consultation with women farmers…
All levels of government must set up the necessary framework for strengthening the participatory decision making process by establishing a consultation process. Genuine partnerships should be created between all the parties concerned on an equal footing. At present agricultural producers and in particular women farmers find themselves in a position of inferiority in relation to others and consequently find that less consideration is given to their needs.
A better understanding of the contribution of women in the rural and agricultural sectors…
It is essential to improve the statistics about and for women producers. The creation of women farmers observatories within national governments could be a first step to more specifically studying their problems and needs, notably in relation to accessing to and controlling natural resources.
Better access for women farmers to markets…
In the context of the globalisation of markets, women farmers from developing countries need more access to local markets. Establishing fair rules in the international markets will contribute to ensuring the marketing of agricultural production.
Broader representation of women farmers in agricultural organisations…
It is important that national and local authorities devote more resources to increasing the capabilities of farmers’ organisations so that representative structures for both male and female farmers become more autonomous.