Uprooting Inequality, Nurturing Rights

Women’s Empowerment through Agriculture and Food Systems

A policy brief submitted by the Canadian Food Security Policy Group to Global Affairs Canada to inform the development of implementation strategies for Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy.

Canada’s new Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP) is well-targeted and ambitious. Empowering women and girls is widely considered to be the most impactful strategy for reducing poverty around the world.

Recent decades have seen great progress in reducing global poverty. However, there are growing gaps in equality. Many women, especially in rural areas, have been left behind. With 79% of women in the poorest countries depending on farming for their livelihoods, it is clear that agriculture is a vital pathway to achieving women’s empowerment and equality. Without this central role for agriculture and food systems, Canada will struggle to meet the FIAP’s goals. Therefore, appropriate investments in agriculture and food security should be the next step for exercising Canadian leadership in the global arena.

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World Accord is a member of the Food Security Policy Group.