…the worldwide network of women farmers                 

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Established in 1992, the IFAP Standing Committee on Women in Agriculture is a permanent discussion group whose mission is to put forward women farmers’ issues and advocate for their rights around the world.

Aims
  • Promote the status of women farmers all over the world and make their working and living conditions known
  • Strengthen the capacities of women farmers through their full and active participation in farmers' organisations, in decision-making bodies and in IFAP activities
  • Advocate women farmers’ interests within international organisations and through the IFAP policy statements and bring their concerns to the attention of intergovernmental institutions and other bodies
  • Support the creation and the strengthening of independent representative structures of women farmers within national farmers organisations
  • Encourage solidarity among women farmers, especially between industrialised and developing countries
Functions
  • Act as a forum in which women farmers of national agricultural organisations can meet to:
    • Highlight their mutual interests and common concerns
    • Elaborate actions to further such interests and build recommendations on agricultural policies to lobby international organisations and governments
    • Develop a good understanding of world issues
    • Exchange ideas and experiences and disseminate information on, and for, women farmers
  • Ensure the representation of women in delegations speaking for farmers at international level and support  the effective participation of women farmers in relevant programmes
  • Organise international conferences and workshops to discuss agricultural, economic and social policy issues that affect women in agriculture
  • Inspire and support farmers organisations' activities designed to respond to the needs of women farmers
  • Develop cooperation among women in leadership positions and with other stakeholders of the agricultural sector

Structure

The Standing Committee is made up of women farmers' representatives from all IFAP member organisations. Officers of the Committee are women farmers elected for a 2 year period. Representatives of other international organisations can be invited in an observer capacity.

Officers of the Committee 2004-2006:

Chair: Karen Serres (France)

Vice Chairs: Hélène Kra Cissé (Côte d’Ivoire), Sarala Gopalan (India), Paola Ortensi (Italy), Cristina Manzano (Argentina)

Advisers: Gabriela Quiroga (Uruguay), Victoria Kakoko Sebagereka (Uganda), Sue Beitlich (USA), Lucila Quintana (Peru)

Policy Officer of the Committee: Fabienne Derrien 

Including Women Farmers in Farmers’ Organisations

Women farmers all over the world make a significant contribution to the food security of their communities, as well as to sustainable agricultural and rural development. It is therefore extremely important to protect their interests for the benefit of the agricultural sector as a whole. Farmers’ organisations should therefore act as spokespersons for their members and convey their recommendations.

To this end, a farmers’ organisation and its elected leaders should:

 

At political level…

1. Promote the important role of women farmers in rural areas when speaking to national and international decision makers.

2. Integrate women farmers and/or their representatives into its various political initiatives and working committees.

3. Ensure the presence of women farmers in its farmers’ delegations at national and international events.

4. Take into account the specific needs of women farmers when drawing up its agricultural policies and in every position adopted by the organisation.

At institutional level…

1. Ensure equal membership and integration between men and women farmers as members to facilitate the adoption of measures appropriate to the situation of women farmers.

2. Ensure the existence and functioning of a committee or working group of women farmers, either within the organisation or as an affiliated structure, focusing on the general agricultural issues and on the specific concerns of women farmers.

3. Provide this committee of women farmers with the necessary human and financial resources and appoint a person to be responsible for handling this particular issue within the organisation.

At international level…

1. Participate actively in the work of IFAP and take part in the existing worldwide network of women farmers.

2. Forward the working issues studied and positions supported by its women members to the IFAP secretariat.

3. Arrange to be regularly represented (once a year) by a woman farmer and/or the person responsible for this issue, at national and international events, especially those of IFAP, and encourage follow-up by the same representative to ensure continuity of the activities.

The creation of women’s groups is a way of facilitating their participation in political and social debates so that their views can be heard. However, it is not an end in itself, the main objective of such women farmers’ groups being the effective integration of women farmers into mixed structures.

 

 

“Greater involvement of women farmers in formulating the policy positions of the farmers’ organisations, as well as an active participation in all debates, are essential to ensure that their specific requirements are incorporated in the farm policies”

The Committee.