Gendering Agriculture so Women Take the Lead in Feeding Africa

Rhoda Tumusiime, IITA Board Member, Former African Union Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, and Chairperson, HOPE   Steven Cole, Senior Scientist and Gender Research Coordinator, IITABy Rhoda Tumusiime and Steven ColeIBADAN, Nigeria, Oct 12 2020 (IPS) Africa’s hopes of feeding a population projected to double by 2050 amidst a worsening climate crisis rest on huge investments in agriculture, including creating the conditions so that women can empower themselves and lead efforts to transform the continent’s farming landscape. Rhoda TumusiimeAs we celebrate the 2020 International Day of Rural Women, Africa needs to reflect more on the role women play in food and nutrition security, land and water management. Also, the impact of COVID-19 on women’s capacity to provide food for their families and care for their loved ones underscores the importance of strengthening their capacities by designing gender responsive actions. We know the world has the technology and resources to eradicate hunger but finding the right policies and the will to implement them often elude us. Fortunately, young women and men carrying out evidence-based research in sub-Saharan Africa are coming up with some possible answers on how to tackle these pressing issues. Working with the support and guidance of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), a research-for-development non-profit, these researchers are aiming to facilitate agricultural solutions to hunger...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Africa Climate Change Development & Aid Economy & Trade Food & Agriculture Gender Headlines Health Humanitarian Emergencies Inequity Labour Natural Resources Poverty & SDGs TerraViva United Nations Women & Economy Source Type: news