IFAP and Women Farmers

25 Years of action: 1974-1999

By Giuseppina Pelà, IFAP Officer-in-Charge of Women's Matters, 1974-1998

Summary

The document presents an overview of IFAP's action in support of women farmers during the last quarter of the Century. It describes the aspects which characterize IFAP's approach to women farmers' issues and reports the step by step development of the Federation's activities related to women: from the first initiatives and the informal meetings, to the establishment of the Standing Committee on Women in Agriculture. The role of the Standing Committee, as a unique structure gathering women farmers' representatives from all over the world, is highlighted, along with some of its major activities, especialy those related to the Fourth World Conference on Women, in Beijing, 1995, and the launching and celebrations of the World Rural Women's Day. Attention is paid to specific programmes for the improvement of the status and conditions of female farmers in developing. countries. Representation of women farmers' interests in international events and cooperation with other international organizations are part of the major functions of IFAP; cooperation with the Rome-based United Nations Agencies is particularly highlighted. The document briefly assesses progress made, and outlines possible developments, in the light of new challenges facing the whole agricultural sector and women farmers in particular.

1. FOREWARD
   BOX 1: THE WORLD FOOD SUMMIT, 1996
2. THE APPROACH
3. THE FIRST INITIATIVES
   1. The Rome Cooperative Ad Hoc Women's Group
   2. World Food Conference, Rome, 1974
   3. Meetings on Women: from informal to regular sessions
4. THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE
5. THE FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN, Beijing, China, 1995
6. WORLD RURAL WOMEN'S DAY
   1. Origin and Celebration
      BOX 2: FACTS ON RURAL WOMEN
   2. Worldwide Information Campaign
      • "Towards Food Security: Invest in Rural Women" - 1997
      • "Human Rights for All Rural Women" - 1998
      • "Give Credit to Rural Women" - 1999
   3. International Events
      BOX 3: WHAT TYPE OF TRAINING
7. DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
8. INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATION AND COOPERATION
   1. Cooperation with FAO
   2. Cooperation with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
   3. Relations with the World Food Programme (WFP)
9. CONCLUSIONS
   BOX 4: SOME PRESCRIPTIONS FOR ENHANCING RURAL WOMEN's STATUS

I. FOREWARD

The most profound and worldwide revolution of the twentieth century is the recognition that women have gained in all walks of life. This far-reaching process has been favoured by the better understanding of the linkages between social, economic, and environmental factors, between the macro and the micro level, and between democracy and development. The relationship among the situation of women, economic development and social welfare has been acknowledged as well.

The essential role played by women in agriculture and rural development has also been increasingly recognized, especially with regard to rural poverty alleviation, nutrition and food security, preservation of biodiversity and environmental protection. The vital role of rural women as agents of change, as well as custodians of cultural values and traditional knowledge has been highlighted in several international fora.

BOX 1: THE WORLD FOOD SUMMIT, 1996

The World Food Summit, organized by FAO in Rome, November 1996, acknowledged the fundamental contribution to food security by women, particularly in developing countries. Governments agreed to ensure the empowerment of women inter alia by providing equal gender opportunities for education and training in food production, processing and marketing. They pledged to tailor extension and technical services to women producers and increase the number of women advisors and agents. They also agreed to promote investment in food security programmes which benefit small-scale food producers, especially women and their organizations, as well as to strengthen their capacity to design and implement these programmes.

 This does not mean that all forms of discrimination against women have been eliminated, or that the recognition obtained in principle has been translated into widespread improvements and full equality between men and women. In many countries, rural and farming women continue to operate under very difficult conditions, without power to secure land rights or to access vital services, such as credit, inputs, education, training and extension. The feminization of poverty as well as of agriculture are growing phenomena throughout the world. Women farmers' work is generally unremunerated and not recorded in statistics, and is often by-passed by research and deveopment programmes. In most parts of the world, farming women are at a disadvantage with respect to their male partners as well as to women in other sectors of society.

Positive developments have taken place in conceptual terms and considerable achievements have been made by women especially with regard to legislation. However, the simple fact that the same fundamental measures continue to be recommended in international fora, proves that progress has been slow and scattered, and that much remains to be done.

Towards the end of the Century, and within the framework of the Beijing-Plus 5 revision of progress, it is appropriate for IFAP to look back to its work in support of women farmers during the last 25 years, and take stock of achievements and shortcomings, in order to better plan for the new millennium.

II. THE APPROACH

In the early 7Os, when IFAP initiated to pay greater attention to the situation of women in agriculture, the number of women members of farmers organizations was disproportionately low. Very few women farmers held leading positions and, where they did, they hardly went beyond the district level. Their participation in international meetings was very rare.

IFAP therefore undertook special action to enhance the status of women farmers and encourage their involvement in agricultural organizations within the context of its main functions.

The basic objective of IFAP is to promote the well-being of all who live by and on the land. All IFAP activities are therefore of interest to, and in the interest of both male and female farmers. The main roles of the Federation are to:

• provide a forum in which world farm leaders can exchange views, and make recommendations for action to improve the farmers' overall situation;
• keep members informed about events and issues of concern to them as farmers organizations;
• act as the spokesman for the farmer in international meetings;
• promote the creation and strengthening of farmers' organizations throughout the world.
  

IFAP action in support of women has been characterized by a mumber of aspects, as described below.

IFAP soon adopted the term "women farmers", as opposed to the more generic and widely used expression: "farm women", thus emphasizing the professional role of female producers.

Partnership and complementarity between men and women generally exist in farm families; the same should be achieved in agricultural organizations.

In accordance with the position taken by the great majority of its member organizations, IFAP considers women as part of, and not apart from, the organization as a whole. This is seen as a key factor in the promotion of women farmers into the mainstream of development.

IFAP is fully convinced that if farmers, men and women, are not organized, they will not be represented and, if not represented, they will have no power. Empowerment is all about organization. While grassroot groups are vital building blocks of any empowerment process, they are fragile and weak if they do not structure themselves at district, national, regional and global levels.

The full involvement and representation of women at all levels of farmers' organizations is not only seen as to benefit women but also to strengthen the organization and allow farmers to speak with a united voice. This is of particular importance in developing countries, where the large farming population has a far too little influence in policy decisions. A united farmers' voice is also essential in industrialized countries, where agricultural producers represent a small percentage of the working force and are at disadvantage with respect to other more powerful and vocal social sectors.

While the goal is the full integration of women into farmers' organizations, IFAP recognizes that a flexible attitude has to be maintained, due to the differing situation of women and of farmers' organizations in different countries. Transitional measures may be adopted, such as quota systems or special treatment; women's units or departments can be established within the farmers' organizations; even parallel women farmer structures can be set up (i.e. in Germany and Indonesia). In many cases IFAP has favoured cooperation between general women organizations and farmer organizations.

Women's problems are not the concern of women alone, but of society at large. Men have an important role to play in finding solutions. Therefore IFAP considers important the sensitization and involvement of farm leaders in the improvement of the situation of women farmers. Furthermore, IFAP recommends that all institutions working in the agricutural sector should be encouraged to adapt their services to the particular needs expressed by farmers, especially small-scale and women farmers.

III. THE FIRST INITIATIVES

The Rome Cooperative Ad Hoc Women's Group

The IFAP activities in support of women were initiated in 1974 with the establishment of a Cooperative Ad Hoc Women's Group. This was promoted by the IFAP representative in Rome, in collaboration with the FAO Cooperative Unit and the Representative of the Women's Committee of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA). The purpose of the Group was to promote greater participation of women in agricultural cooperatives and inject a woman component in the activities of the Joint Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives (COPAC), which was set up in 1972 with the participation of both inter-governmental (FAO, ILO and UN) and non-governmental organizations, including ICA and IFAP.

The Women's Group undertook a series of initiatives also in cooperation with the Women's Committee of COPA (the Committee of Agricultural Professional Organizations of the European Union) and the Italian cooperative movement. The Group was dissolved in 1979, when its main objective was achieved: Women in Cooperatives is now a permanent item in COPAC's Agenda and all its member organizations pay due attention to the enhancement of women's roles through cooperatives.

World Food Conference, Rome, 1974

A Resolution on "Women and Food" was adopted by the 1974 World Food Conference in Rome. It focused on the reproductive roles of women emphasizing family nutrition,breast-feeding and health issues. It was partly due to the IFAP action that the Resolution also recognized women as food producers, and called on governments to provide education and training to women in food production and agricultural technology, in marketing and distribution, as well as consumer, credit and nutrition information. Equality and partnership with men were also recommended.

Meetings on Women: from informal to regular sessions

A first Ad Hoc Meeting on "The Role of Women on the Farm and in Cooperatives" was held at the IFAP General Conference in Baden (Austria), in 1974. It was organized in collaboration with the Rome Cooperative Women's Group. In 1975, during the General Conference in Washington, a Special Session on the International Year of Women was held and the conclusions of the meeting were included in the Conference Proceedings.

Informal meetings on women's issues related to the Conference themes were held at the General Conferences in Helsinki (1977), Sorrento (1979), and Buenos Aires (198O).

The Policy Statement adopted by the Conference in Buenos Aires included a section on Women in Agriculture, with specific recommendations to farmers' organizations to undertake special action and programmes for the improvement of women farmers' situation, and for promoting their full participation in the organization, including at decision-making level.

In 1982, an inquiry was carried out on measures adopted by member organizations for the implementation of the above recommendations. The results of the inquiry, which showed a great variety of initiatives, were reported in a document on Women and Agricultural Organizations, which was presented at the "Women Farmers' Forum" held at the 25th General Conference in London, 1982.

The Forum marked the passage from the informal meetings to the regular sessions of the Committee on Women in Agriculture, which have since been held during the General Conference, every two years. The Committee meetings were extended to a full day, with interpretation into English and French, and were included in the Conference Programmes.

These meetings were well attended by the few women delegates and observers, interested farm leaders, delegates' wives (often farmers themselves), and representatives of international organizations. While the informal meetings were chaired by the wife of the IFAP President (whose efforts in mobilizing women and sensitizing farm leaders deserve due recognition), the formal Committee sessions were all chaired by women farmers' representatives.

At each Committee meeting, a main theme - which had been selected at the previous session - was discussed on the basis of a working document prepared by the Secretariat. These documents were usually based on an inquiry conducted among IFAP members. The subjects discussed included the following: - "Women Farmers and Family Farms", New Delhi, 1984

• "Women's Access to Agricutural Organizations", Bonn, 1986
• "Training Needs and Opportunities for Women Farmers", Adelaide, 1988
• "Agrochemicals: A Woman's View", Trondheim, 199O
• "Financial Resources for Women Farmers", Quebec City, 1992

Policy statements and recommendations were formulated at each meeting. Recommendations recurring more frequently were related to the enhancement of women farmers' status, full membership in farmers' organizations, rural infrastructure, training requirements and research. These were addressed to women themselves, governments, farmers' organizations and IFAP. A consolidated list of recommendations was prepared in 1994.

Until 1992, the implementation of the recommendations was largely left to the initiative of each member organization and little continuity was ensured from one session to the other. To help overcome these and other constraints, the strengthening of the Committee's structure had been requested on several occasions. This was eventually achieved with the establishment of the Standing Committee on Women in Agriculture in 1993.

IV. THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE

Following the strong appeal for a greater participation of women in IFAP Conferences, which was made at the 199O Conference in Throndhein (Norway), and in response to the explicit request made by the Committee on Women in Agriculture, the 3Oth General Conference in Quebec (Canada), June 1992, unanimously decided on the establishment of an IFAP Standing Committee on Women in Agriculture.

The terms of reference of the Standing Committee and a preliminary programme of work were prepared by a Working Group which was hosted by the Norwegian Farmers' Union in Oslo, January 1993, and were then approved by the IFAP Executive Committee. The Oslo Working Group was made up of women farmers' representatives designated by member organizations from six countries all over the world. The paticipation of the representatives from Africa and Asia was sponsored by the Norwegian and Swedish farmers' organizations.

The aims of the Standing Committee are:

1. To promote the status and situation of women farmers and their families all over the world;
2. To empower women farmers through their full and effective participation in farmers' organizations at all levels, in decision-making bodies, and in IFAP activities;
3. To enable IFAP to play a leading role in supporting member organizations' activities involving women, as well as in advocating women farmers interests throughout the international system.
4. To encourage solidarity among women farmers, especially between industrialized and developing countries, and countries in transition.
   

The functions of the Committee include the following:

The Standing Committee is made up of women farmers' representatives - including men, where appropriate - from IFAP member organizations. Representatives of other national and international organizations can be invited in an observer capacity.

In compliance with the IFAP Constitution, the Standing Committee elects its Chairman and 3 Vice-Chairmen. The Chairman of the Standing Committee is "de officio" admitted to the Executive Committee meetings, where she can present reports on activities concerning women and give other important inputs on women's concerns. Ms Randi Braathe, a Norwegian farmer, former Vice-Chairman of the Norwegian Farmers' Union, was the first Chairman of the Committee (1994-1998). Her successor is Ms Linda Reinhardt, a farmer, Chair of the Women's Committee of the American Farm Bureau Federation (USA), who was elected at the Standing Committee session in Manila,1998, together with three Vice Chairs (Philippines, Kenya and Finland).

The Committee meets every two years, in connection with the IFAP General Conference sessions, and at other times as necessary. The first session of the Standing Committee was held in Istanbul (Turkey), 29-3O April 1994.

The main themes discussed at the Standing Committee sessions, on the basis of working documents prepared by the Secretariat, were the following:

• "Farm Families: Resources and Responsibilities in a Changing World", Istanbul 1994 - The final version of the document was adopted by the Executive Committee as the IFAP Statement for the Observance of the International Year of the Family
• "Follow-up to the Beijing World Conference on Women: Evaluation and Workplan", Versailles 1996
• "Invest in Rural Women through Training and Information Towards Food Security", Manila 1998
  

The Standing Committee on Women in Agriculture is characterized by two main features:

1. it is the only worldwide body of women farmers' representatives; and
2. it is an integral part of IFAP, and benefits from the experience, the work and the influence of this powerful network of farmers' organizations, which is unique in itself. The major objective of the Committee is to assist women farmers to become equal partners, and not to isolate them.

Efforts to develop the full potential of the Committee are an on-going process. In Manila (May 1998), in addition to the Chairman and the three Vice-Chairs, three Advisors (Argentina, Italy and USA) were also nominated to support the work of the Chairman.

In December 1998, an Office-holders' meeting, the first of this kind, was called in Paris. The main objective of the meeting was to discuss ways and means for strengthening the Standing Committee on Women in Agriculture. The following measures were proposed:

• Strengthening the role of the Chairman with a clear mandate to stimulate, coordinate and represent the Committee, with the support of the IFAP Secretariat, and the cooperation of the Vice-Chairs and Advisors, who may cover specific areas and discharge certain tasks.
• Urging farm leaders to strengthen the communication system within their organizations, so that officers in charge of women's programmes, women farmers' representatives, and women farmers at large, are kept informed about IFAP and its activities in all sectors. This will not only contribute to enrich women's knowledge, but also give women farmers the pride of being represented on a world scale, and will increase their interest in, and support to their organization, at national and at international levels.
• Up-dating the list of percentage of women in membership of farmers' organizations, which had been prepared by the Secretariat on the basis of the 1994 IFAP Handbook of Member Organizations.
• Promoting exchange of information through E-mail, gradually developing an E-mail network with women farmers' representatives all over the world.
  

The establishment of the Standing Committee on Women in Agriculture has represented a turning point in the IFAP work in support of women farmers. It has greatly contributed to strengthen team work, especially between the Office Holders and the Secretariat, with particular involvement of the Chairman. Attendance by professional women has increased and new countries are being represented: at the 1998 session in Manila, for instance, women farmers' representatives from Argentina, Brazil, Kenya and Japan participated for the first time. Greater continuity of action has been ensured and activities have been increased and better structured. An example in point is the unprecedented sequence of activities carried out by IFAP in preparation, during and after the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women.

V. THE FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN, Beijing, China, 1995

Action conducted by IFAP on the occasion of the Fourth United Nations Conference on Women (Beijing, 1995) included the following:

In preparation:

1. Information on the World Conference and NGO Forum in Beijing sent to all Member Organizations,
2. Participation and presentation of statements at the regional preparatory meetings,
3. Presentation of a first set of amendments to the Draft UN Platform for Action,
4. A visit by the President and Secretary General of IFAP to Ms Gertrude Mongela, Secretary General of the Fourth World Conference on Women,
5. A letter to the FAO Director General, encouraging him to organize a special event on Women as Food Producers in Beijing,
6. A Technical Consultation for Women Farmers organized in New York (March 1995) with the technical and financial support of FAO. The main purpose of the meeting was to highlight the roles and requirements of women farmers and to ensure that they were adequately taken into account in the main documents of the Beijing Conference. A working document entitled "From the Women Farmers' Perspective: A Synthesis of the Results of the Regional Preparatory Meetings for the Fourth World Conference on Women", was prepared by the IFAP Secretariat. The Consultation was held at the United Nations during the session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women which acted as the last Preparatory Committee for the Beijing Conference. This allowed IFAP to take immediate action to influence the decisions of the intergovernmental Commission, through a statement to the Plenary session of the Commission, and the presentation of amendments to the Draft Platform for Action for the Beijing Conference. IFAP proposals were favourably considered by the Commission Secretariat and by government delegations and were reflected in the major documents prepared for the Conference.
7. The full Report of the Consultation and information on other activities were provided in IFAP Monitoring N° 6-95 "Women Farmers Prepare for Beijing and Beyond" (June 1995).

In Beijing :

1. A four-person IFAP delegation, made-up of three women farmers representatives (from India, Norway and Sweden) and the Officer-in-charge of Women's Matters, attended the Conference.
2. A statement, with the title "Women farmers: equal partners in agriculture and promoters of quality and sustainable development", was presented in the Plenary by the Chairman of the IFAP Standing Committee on Women in Agricuture.
3. The delegation established contacts with government delegates, representatives of UN Agencies and non-governmental organizations, and attended various formal and informal meetings organized during the Conference.
4. The "Emphasis Day on Rural Women: Life and Work of Rural Women - A Fairer Future" was a special event organized by FAO with 11 other UN agencies. IFAP was invited to cover the theme (up to now unusual in women's meetings) "Role of Rural People's and Farmers' Organizations".
5. At the NGO Forum ten Prizes for Women's Creativity in Rural Life were awarded by the Women's World Summit Foundation to women from Africa, Asia and Latin America. Among the Prize winners was Ms El Sherbin Fadl, a farmer nominated by the Central Association of Cooperative Union, IFAP member in Egypt.
6. The idea of a World Rural Women's Day to be celebrated on 15 October, emerged from discussions in an informal meeting in Beijing as reported below.
   

Follow-up Action by IFAP includes the following:

1. Diffusion of information to Member Organization in the IFAP Monitoring N°16-95 "Brief Overview of the Beijing Conference", which includes a list of recommendations from the Beijing Platform for Action that specifically address the needs of rural and farming women.
2. Conference results and follow-up were discussed at the session of the Standing Committee on Women in Agriculture in Versailles, France, 1996.
3. Inclusion of women's concerns in IFAP's activities, including follow-up to the World Food Summit, e.g. in the IFAP study and plan of action on "Rural Poverty and Sustainable Development" (1998).
4. Continued action for the enhancement of the status of women farmers.

VI. WORLD RURAL WOMEN'S DAY

(i)Origin and Celebrations

The idea of a World Rural Women's Day to be devoted each year, beginning in 1996, to honour rural women emerged from discussions among representatives of women farmers and rural women in Beijing (July 1995), notably from Associated Country Women of the World (ACWW), IFAP, Network of African Rural Women Associations (NARWA), and the Women's World Summit Foundation (WWSF). This was considered a practical way of obtaining recognition and support for the multiple roles of rural women who are mostly farmers and small entrepreneurs. Rural women represent over a quarter of the world population and greatly contribute to the wellbeing of their family and the development of rural economies. Because of their key role in food production and food security, it was decided that the World Rural Women's Day fall on the 15 October - the day before the World Food Day.

BOX 2: FACTS ON RURAL WOMEN

The purpose of the Day was to provide rural women and their organizations with a focal point to :

1. raise the profile of rural women,
2. sensitize both government and public to their crucial, yet largely unrecognized roles, and
3. promote action in their support. Initiative on how to celebrate this Day was left to individual organizations and communities, according to their own traditions and requirements. Stress was placed on the importance of activities or events being concrete and visible. This action undertaken by rural and farming women in all parts of the world on the very same day, in a spirit of solidarity and cooperation, would strengthen the impact of the Day.

The idea of the World Rural Women's Day received support at international level and an encouraging response in various countries. The first celebration took place in 1996 with an international ceremony organized by IFAP, working together with the women representatives of the three Italian farmers' organizations, ACWW and WWSF, and in collaboration with FAO which hosted the meeting in its premises in Rome. In 1996, national celebrations took place in a number of countries, such as Australia, Costa Rica, Egypt, France, Jamaica, Mali, Nepal, Rwanda, Russia, U.S.A. and Zambia.

(ii) Worldwide Information Campaign

"Towards Food Security: Invest in Rural Women" - 1997

In 1997, in order to make the World Rural Women's Day a truly annual and ongoing global event, a Worldwide Information Campaign for Awareness and Empowerment was launched by IFAP, WWSF, and ACWW. The theme selected was: "Towards Food Security: Invest in Rural Women". With the technical assistance of FAO, a World Rural Women's Day logo was created and a coloured poster was produced in five languages - Arabic, Chinese, English, French and Spanish. A postcard and an information flier were also printed as part of the information pack. Financial support for the printing and mailing was received from the World Bank, Norsk Hydro and the World Food Programme, while the Swiss Agency of Development and Cooperation, was the major donor. IFAD provided technical support for language translation. Using different networks both non-governmental (e.g. ACWW, ICA IFAP, Micro-Credit Summit, World Food Summit NGO Forum) and intergovernmental (FAO, ILO, World Bank, WFP etc.) almost 15,OOO organizations associated with rural women were contacted around the world, each receiving the information pack.

The response to the Campaign from both developing and industrialized countries went beyond expectations. The initiative met with overwhelming enthusiasm and support at all levels, from grassroots women's movements in the most marginalized, least favoured areas of developing countries, to well established national organizations in industrialized countries. Over 1OO reports, letters, photographs and videos received from around the world testify of local and national activities convened to mark the Day. The major highlights at government level were the official recognition by President Ramos of the Philippines of the 15 October as National Rural Women's Day, obtained through the good offices of the Filipino Federation of Free Farmers, and a Proclamation by Bill Clinton, President of the USA, declaring the 15 October as International Rural Women's Day calling on the American people to "observe this Day with appropriate programmes and activities in recognition of the extraordinary contributions rural women make to the quality of lives both in America and around the world".

"Human Rights for All Rural Women" - 1998

In order to capitalize on the momentum created and extend the outreach of the World Rural Women's Day, a second Global Awareness Campaign to Increase Knowledge and Empowerment was launched in 1998. It was promoted by IFAP and WWSF, the latter acting as Coordinator. "Human Rights for All Rural Women" was the theme chosen for the Campaign, to connect it with the 5Oth Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights celebrated in 1998. Information material was prepared in seven languages, with the addition of German and Russian to the five UN languages used in the previous year. A greater number of information packages - about 25,OOO - were distributed, through a large number of rural women's associations, national and international NGOs, government institutions and UN Agencies. The packages included a coloured poster, a postcard, an Open Letter to Rural Women and a Global Impact Sheet, with a display of organizations, governments, FAO Country Representatives and others that had reported on their activities in celebration of the Day in 1997. In-kind or financial support was received by many organizations, notably the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.

"Give Credit to Rural Women" - 1999

Women's productivity is often hampered by inadequate access to credit, especially in rural areas. It is estimated that women receive only 1 per cent of all agricultural credit. In addition, all over the world rural women are not given due credit for the work they do. For these reasons the theme : "Give Credit to Rural Women" has been chosen for the Information Campaign, which is being planned for 1999.

(iii) International Events

Following the international ceremony for the first celebration of the World Rural Women's Day, held at FAO Headquarters in 1996, international events were organized by the promoting organizations, both in Geneva and in Rome, on 15 October in the following years. These international meetings were intended as an ideal synthesis of local initiatives taking place on that same day in many parts of the world, and as an opportunity for strengthening solidarity and promoting cooperation. They went well beyond a mere celebration and provided a forum to exchange views and ideas on substantive issues and formulate recommendations.

The International Symposium held in Rome at FAO, 15 October 1997, dealt with the subject "Invest in Rural Women through Training and Information - Towards Food Security". The Symposium was organized by IFAP and ACWW, in close cooperation with FAO and the three Italian farmers organizations, and with the support of the Italian Ministers for Equal Opportunities and Agricultural Policies, IFAD, WFP and WWSF. Technical aspects related to training and information for rural women were discussed and numerous recommendations were formulated.

BOX 3: WHAT TYPE OF TRAINING

Participants in the 1997 International Symposium in Rome, while recognizing that training programmes should be locally tailored, recommended that training for rural and farming women should be:

1. a dynamic process: permanent flexible and up-dated, where interested women play their full part in the identification of objectives and the design of programmes, as well as in their execution and monitoring;
2. a two-way communication channel, where rural women's knowledge and practices are utilized and, if necessary improved, e.g. in the conservation of biodiversity;
3. a means for socialization among women as well as between women and men, whenever possible, thus favouring a change of attitudes and the correction of wrong assumptions.

Furthermore:

In 1998, IFAP participated, together with the Italian farmers' organizations and FAO, in the organization of an International Seminar on the theme "Women's entrepreneurship in agriculture for rural development, and rural development for women's entrepreneurship". The Seminar was held under the high patronage of the President of the Republic of Italy and was sponsored by the Italian Ministry for Agricultural Policy. The National Institute for Statistics prepared a special study on the dynamics of women presence in agriculture.

Both in 1997 and 1998, the WWSF combined the celebration of the World Rural Women's Day with the award ceremony for the Prize for Women's Creativity in Rural Life, at the United Nations in Geneva.

These international events were well attended by female and male farm leaders, experts from developing countries, international and national authorities, representatives from Embassies, international and national NGOs, staff members from intergovernmental organizations (FAO, IFAD, WFP, UN), and media operators. They provided an example of extended cooperation among various actors, including national and international NGOs, governments, and intergovernmental organizations. The participation of a number of women farmers' representatives and rural women from developing countries was sponsored by the organizers.

VII. DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Efforts to include women's concerns in IFAP's development activities have become particularly important as the programme for developing countries was intensified. Further developments can be expected in this area, especially at regional level.

The IFAP development programme aims at promoting and strengthening farmers' organizations, so that they can serve and represent the real interests of farmers. It lays special emphasis on small farmers and women producers, who constitute the majority of farmers in most developing countries.

Activities include the regular sessions of the IFAP committees specializing in development (such as the Standing Committee on Agriculture in Developing Countries, and the Development Cooperation Committee), seminars for farm leaders, workshops, action research, secondment schemes, regional and country projects, innovative micro-projects, international coordination of farmers' development efforts, and publications.

While all IFAP activities are self-financed by member organizations, the development programme is largely funded with external resources, a part of which has been used to ensure the participation of women farmers' representatives an average of 1O per cent.

In all activities, the position and concerns of women farmers have been taken into consideration, and appropriate recommendations have been formulated. Many of these recommendations have been published in the IFAP "Development" and "Policy" Series, which include subjects of particular interest to developing country farmers' organizations, such as; - Rural Development Projects, 1979; - National Agricultural and Food Policies, 1982; - Pricing Policies, 1984; - Improving Marketing and Farm Input Supply, 1986; Sustainable Farming and the Role of Farmers' Organizations, 1988; - Self-Supporting Farmer Organizations, 1992 (which included two substantive sections on "Women Farmers: from marginal to mainstream", and "Women's Constraints to Participation: What farmers' organizations can do"); "Farmers for a Sustainable Future, the Leadership Role of Agriculture", 1994; - "Negotiating Linkages: Farmers' Organizations, Agricultural Research and Extension", 1995; "Farmers' Strategy for Agricultural Development and World Food Security", 1996; - "Rural Poverty and Sustainable Development", 1998

Activities specifically addressed to women included the following:

1. Training courses for female African farmers, organized by the IFAP African Regional Committee, and hosted by the Central Agricultural Cooperative Union, Cairo (Egypt), 1987 and 1989.
2. Participatory studies on African Women Farmers. During 1991 and 1992, IFAP commissioned two studies on women farmers in Africa. African farmers' organizations were allocated funds for enabling them to carry out their own research, with a view of taking practical action. These studies were as follows:
   • West African Regional Study on Women Farmers, covering 74 organizations in 7 countries: Mali, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Togo, Benin, Nigeria and Burkina Faso
   • Desk studies by the women departments of farmers' organizations in Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

   
   

   These studies served as the basis of the

   • Technical Session for East and Southern Africa Women Departments, which was held in Harare (Zimbabwe), 1992.
   • Recommendations for activities for African women farmers made by the IFAP African Regional
     Committee, which discussed the proposals arising from the above studies and Technical Committee.
     
3. Cassava Processing Project with a Women's Cooperative Society on East Nigeria. The project was carried out with the assistance of IFAP and the Cooperative Federation of Nigeria. It will serve as a model for future projects on the transfer of post-harvest technology.
   
4. Programme on Promoting the Status and Conditions of Women Farmers in Developing Countries. On the basis of the experience gained so far, IFAP has outlined a comprehensive programme to be of direct benefit to small-scale women farmers, and of support to women farm leaders and staff members of farmers' organizations of Africa, Asia, Central and South America. The Programme strategy is :

1. to find out what actually exists in developing country farmers' organizations, in terms of women's participation and institutional capacity to serve them;
2. to strengthen what exists; and
3. to undertake concrete projects.

The main components of the programme are:

1. Establishment of a data bank and technical advice and information
2. Projects for the transfer of post-harvest technology, including storage and marketing of food crops, and long-term credit
3. Strengthening Women Farmer Leadership
4. Preparatory work (studies) for Central and South America and Asia Region
5. Creation of a fund for the participation of women farmers' representatives in IFAP activities.