Strengthening sector policies for better food security and nutrition results: Gender equality
This policy guidance note (PDF) by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Directorate for International Cooperation and Development (DEVCO) of the European Commission seeks to facilitate policy dialogue on how to synchronize gender equality policy objectives and food security and nutrition ones. The aim is to enhance coordination between the two policy domains, and ultimately enable women on an equal basis with men to realize their potentials as key partners in improving food security and nutrition. The gender and food security policy domains are generally disconnected: food security and nutrition objectives are rarely reflected in gender-related policies, and gender equality concerns are often missing in food security and nutrition policies. However, they both have an important role to play in advancing food security and nutrition for all. To overcome this disconnect, cross-sectoral collaboration is needed so that institutions and stakeholders working on gender equality and women’s empowerment become more systematically engaged in the food security and nutrition policy debate. This will foster greater policy coherence and ensure mutually reinforcing measures which can advance both the gender equality and the food security and nutrition agendas. Generating and disseminating evidence on gender-based opportunities and constraints is key to raising awareness and supporting the development of policies and programs that coherently integrate gender equality with food security and nutrition objectives.
This guidance note is part of a policy guidance series. Each note provides guidance on how to sharpen the focus of sector policies in order to achieve sustainable food security and nutrition outcomes. Some of the sectoral issues discussed are land tenure, livestock, and climate change.