The Data Revolution Should Not Leave Women and Girls Behind

Most African farmers are women. Credit: IPSBy Jemimah NjukiOTTAWA, Canada, Jan 9 2018 (IPS)If there is one political principle that has been constant throughout the history of human civilization it is the fact that land is power. This is something that is particularly true, and often painfully so, for women who farm in Africa. Though women in Africa are far more likely to farm than men, they are also much less likely to have secure rights to the land where they cultivate crops and they typically hold smaller plots of inferior quality.As a researcher who studies the role of gender in agriculture, I want to do my part to address this injustice, because when women have stronger rights to land, their crop yields increase and they have higher incomes and more bargaining power within the household. Research has shown that stronger land rights leads to other benefits such as better child nutrition and improved educational attainment for girls.But as I delve deeper in to the issue, I frequently encounter another political constant, which is the fact that information is power. And one manifestation of the chronic neglect of women in agriculture is the lack of data that would help illuminate and address their plight.For example, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has launched the Goal Keepers Initiative, which is making a concerted effort to track progress toward achieving the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. Examining the first ever report on the program launched...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Africa Democracy Development & Aid Economy & Trade Featured Food & Agriculture Gender Global Governance Globalisation Headlines Health Human Rights Labour Natural Resources Poverty & SDGs TerraViva United Nations Trade & In Source Type: news