INPUT NEEDED ON WOMEN & AGRICULTURE

Kathi Lawrence (klawrence@igc.apc.org)
Wed, 27 Apr 1994 13:03:09 -0700

URGENT URGENT URGENT URGENT

INPUT NEEDED ON WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
FOR U.S. NATIONAL REPORT TO 4TH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN

To: Those Interested in Women, Sustainable Agriculture and
Food Security

From: Kathy Lawrence
Facilitator
Women, Food and Agriculture (WFA) Working Group
10 Prospect Place, Brooklyn, NY 11217 USA
Tel: 718-622-4314
Fax: 202-347-0654 (c/o Linda Elswick)
Email: klawrence@igc.apc.org

Date: April 26, 1994

Note: I am sending this to SANET-MG as well as to the WFA
email list - my apologies for duplications.


First, thanks to all of you who responded to the Action Alert of
April 21! We did get some results. At the April 22, 1994 U.S.
regional meeting for New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the
Virgin Islands members of the Women, Food and Agriculture
Working Group submitted the statement urging the inclusion of
food, agriculture and rural development issues in the U.S.
national report and in the international Platform for Action.

Later in the afternoon a member of the U.S. delegation to the
4th World Conference on Women asked us to submit suggestions on
these topics for possible inclusion in the U.S. national report.

THIS IS AN IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY TO:

- HIGHLIGHT THE PROBLEMS AND CONCERNS OF WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE
AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE U.S. AND TO LINK THIS ISSUES
TO BROADER CONCERNS OF DEVELOPMENT, PEACE AND EQUALITY

- DOCUMENT THE MANY CONTRIBUTIONS WOMEN MAKE

- OUTLINE A POSITIVE VISION FOR IMPROVING THE STATUS OF WOMEN
IN AGRICULTURE & RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND ACHIEVING
SUSTAINABILITY

- ADVISE U.S. POLICY-MAKERS ON WHAT GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE
DOING AND HOW CITIZENS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY CAN AND WANT
TO PARTICIPATE

- PROMOTE WOMEN'S CENTRAL ROLE IN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND
FOOD POLICY-MAKING AND IMPLEMENTATION AT ALL LEVELS (LOCAL,
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL);

- PROMOTE A LONGER TERM PROCESS OF ENCOURAGING AND
FACILITATING CROSS-FERTILIZATION AND BUILDING COMMON GROUND
AMONG VARIOUS GROUPS AND REGIONS (E.G. WOMEN'S NETWORKS,
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE NETWORKS, FARMERS AND FARM GROUPS,
DEVELOPMENT PRACTITIONERS, HEALTH/NUTRITION, HUNGER/FOOD
SECURITY, ENVIRONMENTAL, LABOR AND HUMAN RIGHTS
ORGANIZATIONS, ACADEMIA, GOVERNMENT AND UN AGENCIES)

UNFORTUNATELY, TIME IS SHORT. The UN deadline for receipt of
all national reports for the Women's Conference is late May.

Below is an outline for input into the national report, based on
guidelines prepared by the Secretariat of the Fourth World
Conference on Women, as well as supplementary guidelines drafted
by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). This should
serve as a reference only, and to give you an idea of how
governments will be structuring their reports.

We can include any issues we feel are of importance.
Personally, I think we should concentrate on women in
agriculture, food and rural development issues/aspects that the
U.S. government is less likely to highlight:

1) Negative economic, social, environmental and health impacts
of past and current ag. and rural policies and practices

2) Case studies and documentation of positive results of
alternative policies and practices (esp. grassroots initiatives)

3) Changes in national policies and government programs needed
to make a transition from destructive to constructive models,
with a focus on women's crucial contributions, improving the
status of women and contributing to food, agricultural and rural
sustainability.

PLEASE SEND ALL TEXT, COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS TO KATHY LAWRENCE
(ADDRESS ETC. ABOVE) BY MAY 4, 1994.

A DRAFTING GROUP WILL THEN COMPILE ALL CONTRIBUTIONS AND
FINALIZE THE TEXT TO BE SENT TO THE U.S. DELEGATION ALONG WITH
A LIST OF THOSE WHO CONTRIBUTED.

WE REALIZE THIS IS A VERY BUSY TIME OF YEAR FOR FARMERS,
ACADEMICS AND MANY OTHERS. IF YOU CANNOT CONTRIBUTE DIRECTLY TO
THE NATIONAL REPORT PROCESS, PLEASE SEND IN A LIST OF WORK, CASE
STUDIES, RESEARCH, PAPERS, ORAL HISTORIES AND ANYTHING ELSE YOU
MAY HAVE WORKED ON OF RELEVANCE TO THIS PROCESS. WE WILL ATTACH
TO OUR FINAL REPORT A LIST OF RESOURCE MATERIALS.

THIS IS ALSO PART OF AN ONGOING PROCESS TO LINK ISSUES AND LINK
LOCAL EFFORTS TO NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL POLICY. THE APRIL
22 STATEMENT AS WELL AS OUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE U.S. NATIONAL
REPORT WILL FEED INTO THE UPCOMING FIVE UN REGIONAL MEETINGS ON
THE WOMEN'S CONFERENCE, AND COULD BE USED IN OTHER ARENAS AS
WELL. IF YOU CAN'T MEET THIS DEADLINE, THERE WILL BE OTHER
OPPORTUNITIES. WE WILL MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO GIVE MUCH MORE
ADVANCE NOTICE OF FUTURE EVENTS AND DEADLINES.

There are many more opportunities to become informed of and
participate in agriculture and food negotiations at the
international level, and to make the links between local,
national and international policy and practice. Please contact
me if you would like further information on:

- The Fourth World Conference on Women
- The Women, Food and Agriculture (WFA) Working Group
- WFA Statement to April 22 New York Regional Meeting
- Current draft Platform for Action for Women's Conference
- Other upcoming meetings and related events

BACKGROUND
In September 1995, the Fourth World Conference on Women - with
the three major themes of Peace, Equality and Development - will
be held in Beijing, China. There will be both an official
inter-governmental conference, where NGO (non-governmental
organization) access will be limited, and a parallel NGO Forum
'95, where access will be open to all interested groups and
individuals. The overall objectives of the conference and the
Platform for Action to be negotiated by the governments are:

To accelerate the removal of the remaining obstacles to
women's full and equal participation in all spheres of
life, including economic and political decision-making, to
protect women's human rights throughout the life cycle, and
to mainstream women in all areas of sustainable development
so that men and women can work together for equality,
development and peace.

The Conference Secretariat, headed by Conference Secretary-
General, Gertrude Mongella of Tanzania, is located at the United
Nations in New York. The UN Committee on the Status of Women,
also in New York, functions as the Preparatory Committee for the
Conference. The NGO Planning Committee organizing NGO Forum '95
also has its Secretariat in New York. Supatra Masdit of
Thailand is Convenor of NGO Forum '95.

Most of the work for this conference, both governmental and non,
will be done over the next year and a half at Regional
Preparatory Committee meetings, through National Report
processes and through less formal local and national organizing.


NATIONAL REPORT PROCESS AND GUIDELINES
(excerpted from document prepared by the Secretariat of the
Fourth World Conference on Women)

The Fourth World Conference on Women should be the culmination
of a process that begins with the national preparations.
National machinery for the advancement of women, together with
other technical ministries, governmental agencies and non-
governmental organizations have the opportunity to take stock of
the present situation of women, analyze the progress made since
the Nairobi Conference (3rd World Conference on Women, 1985) and
prepare for future action.

The main body of the report should not be more than 50 pages and
should feature the most important national priorities and issues
for the advancement of women.

GIVING THE NATIONAL REPORT IMPACT
(excerpted from document prepared by the Secretariat of the
Fourth World Conference on Women)

To produce a document that will serve to mobilize women and men
for action in the critical areas of concern (none of which cover
food, agriculture or rural development) and thus have maximum
impact, emphasis should be placed on:

using quantitative indicators as a basis for analysis of
the situation and changes;

identifying in each area the most interesting programmes
and experiments implemented for and by women for their
advancement. These would include activities of public,
private or non-governmental organization origin


OUTLINE OF NATIONAL REPORT
(excerpted from document prepared by the Secretariat of the
Fourth World Conference on Women and from FAO supplementary
guidelines)

OVERVIEW: One page, highlighting major features of report,
major accomplishments and new priorities for action.

INTRODUCTION: Brief presentation of most relevant global or
regional changes relevant to advancement of women taking place
from the national perspective. Should provide a framework for
examining how national change is taking place.

Overview of national, regional and/or global trends which pose
constraints to or support for women's productive role in ag.,
forestry and fisheries. Include role that economic,
institutional and/or environmental factors play in these trends

I. REVIEW AND APPRAISAL AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL

A. Situation in the early 1980's:
Provide details re: situation of rural women working in ag. in
early 80's, i.e. before Nairobi Conference. Describe what were
considered the major problems for women in ag. at that time.

B. Changes since early 80's - FAO focusses on six critical areas
of concern:

i. Inequality in the sharing of power and decision-making at
all levels - Describe men and women's participation in
formal and informal rural organizations and groups. Assess
the inequality in the sharing of power and decision-making
in above groups and in local power structures in general.

Suggested indicators:
Administrative and managerial workers
- members of agricultural/rural organizations by gender
- office holders of agricultural/rural organizations by gender
- persons economically involved in agricultural professions /
production by gender

ii. Insufficient mechanisms at all levels to promote the
advancement of women - Describe the function and the level
of decision-making of WID units or focal points in
ministries of agriculture, etc. Describe role of NGOs
involved in helping rural women in agriculture and list
their numbers for 1980, 1985, and current year.

iii. Lack of awareness of and commitment to internationally and
nationally recognized women's rights


iv. Persistent and growing burden of poverty on women: Describe
relationship between rural women and poverty, detailing the
factors which contribute to the situation such as economic
crises, structural adjustment (i.e. economic and trade
policy), environmental degradation, changes in the number
of women-headed and landless households in rural areas,
income and wage differentials, problems of unwaged work,
etc.

v. Inequality in women's access to and participation in the
definition of economic structures and the productive
process itself: Describe the relative access of women and
men to resources and services important for agricultural
production, including land, trees and water, technology,
agricultural inputs, credit, extension and training.

vi. Inequality in access to employment: Describe extent to
which women are economically involved in agriculture,
forestry and fisheries, the nature of their employment
(i.e. own-account farmers, agricultural wage labourers,
unpaid family farm workers, landless agricultural
labourers, etc.) and their access to employment within
these sectors

II. EVALUATION OF INTERESTING PROGRAMMES AND EXPERIMENTS IN
SUPPORT OF WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES

This section should present and evaluate the most innovative and
interesting programmes, pilot projects or activities organized
by either the public or private sectors or by women themselves
and discuss the possibilities of extension.

III. REVIEW AND APPRAISAL OF INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT

In this section, evaluate the role of technical cooperation
programmes in the ag. sector describing successes in targeting
(FAO language) and benefitting women farmers and problems
encountered.

IV. FUTURE STRATEGIC GOALS AND OBJECTIVES AND CORRESPONDING
FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS

Include objectives, quantitative targets, available
institutional and financial support and financial and technical
assistance needed.