Author: African Women's Development Fund

[Below is a speech delivered today by AWDF’s Interim CEO, Theo Sowa at an event held to welcome the musician and activist Nneka Egbuna as AWDF’s Ambassador for the Arts]

We are delighted to have you with us at AWDF this morning to welcome Nneka Egbuna in her role as AWDF’s Arts Ambassador.

AWDF was founded 11 years ago by three inspirational women – Hilda Tadria, Joanna Foster and Bisi Adeleye Fayemi, who was also AWDF’s founding Executive Director until last year. They created an amazing organisation aimed at supporting women organisations in their work to make real change in women’s lives – to ensure the recognition and implementation of ALL women’s human rights (economic, social, cultural, political etc) across our continent. And in partnership with the organisations we make grants to (some of whom are here today) AWDF has achieved some great milestones. AWDF does grant making, capacity building, advocacy and movement building. We have made over 19 million dollars in grants to more than 800 organisations in 42 African countries.

More importantly, we have been able to support some amazing stories of change – for example, the small group of women in Ghana who started baking loaves in a clay oven and have moved from that to setting up a modern bakery with new infrastructure – the profits from which have established a crèche and sponsored neighbourhood children through school; or the project in Ethiopia where on a site visit after a year, positive women who had previously been on the verge of death were transformed through effective treatment of HIV/AIDS, to the extent where they were strong and vibrant, able to afford to buy their own medications without disruptions to the timeline and support their children – all from the seed of a small grant which allowed them to earn and save money from decent, safe labour. Or the women’s shelter in Nigeria, where the women leveraged the money from AWDF to lobby local people and the local government – resulting in the first shelter for women victims of violence in that country, a place where women and their children could go to and be safe in the face of extreme violence. That group was so effective that the Governor of the state not only put money into the building of the shelter, but took on the torch of helping to get other shelters built in other parts of the country.

There are so many stories of change and each of the AWDF staff has different favourites. But one of the lessons learned during this time is that its not enough to change women’s lives project by project – or even policy by policy… That will take too long – and African women, our children and our communities deserve better – deserve change now!

And so AWDF’s Arts, Culture and Sports thematic area was born.

We have learned that it is not enough to talk about international conventions that promote women’s human rights; about international legislation that outlines national responsibilities for the wellbeing of children and communities; about international, regional and national policies that aim to do everything from eliminating poverty to protecting women from violence. These are important discussions to have and the drive to promote, recognise and realise women’s rights is central to the achievement of well being and inclusive development on our continent and throughout the world. Yet despite these laws, these tools, these policies we live in nations where girls continue to have unequal access to education; where women die giving birth at double, triple and quadruple the rates in countries on other continents; where our mothers, daughters and sisters lives are blighted by violence, and where redress and justice can seem distant dreams.

I think that too often our social, economic and political discussions miss a crucial element that is needed to engender true social change – and that is the human element. We can have the most powerful legislation throughout the world – yet if women don’t know about it, how can they use it to change their lives? Just as importantly, real change is not externally imposed. A wise, feminist mother and mentor once told me that true and sustainable change in any area has to be powered by individual, internal understandings and decisions that come together in collective action and movement. So change in our heads, in our hearts, in our beliefs and in our actions…

And the arts can be powerful catalysts of such individual and collective understandings. Artists can produce works that translate dusty words into clear and heartfelt understandings of issues and ways of dealing with them. Art can touch the souls as well as the minds of countless people, inspiring passion, anger, joy and other emotions that can catalyse action in ways that court cases and academic lectures and even protest marches may never achieve. Art can bring information and meaning into lives in ways that can be more real, more grounded and more influential than any number of texts. Arts – traditional or modern – are integral to our cultural lives… and changes in social, economic and political arenas will never truly take root without parallel changes in our cultural norms, beliefs and practices.

Please don’t think that I am saying that we can achieve social change and justice through art alone. We cannot. But we can and must leverage the transformational power of the arts if we are to achieve and to accelerate real social change.

And that is what our Arts, Culture and Sports programme seeks to do. We hope to use the power of the arts and culture to increase public support for women’s rights, to challenge the negative stereotypes of African women; to document women’s lives and contributions and create new, dynamic and more accurate narratives about African women; to raise the profiles of our amazing African women artists and to use arts and sports to mobilise new constituencies – especially of confident, passionate young women activists.

I have seen traumatised children respond and come to life in music workshops; have seen communities that have been fighting for years come together over games of football; have seen the power of film to touch people’s hearts and change their thinking; have experienced writers whose works have changed my life and motivations (including the wonderful Professor Ama Ata Aidoo who is with us today)…

Join us in using arts, culture and sport to accelerate and leverage the change we want to see.

Thank you.

At a hotel in Entebbe this week, I was subjected to an experience that I would not wish upon my worst enemy. I am a recently retired (but not tired) almost 70 year old married mother of two and grandmother of seven. For many years, I have trained and mentored young people in leadership skills and the art of advocacy, particularly in connection with the subjects of Gender and Human Rights. On Tuesday I was invited to facilitate a session on leadership, using the Four Frames of Leadership to a group of sexual minorities. Another facilitator at the meeting was Hope Chigudu. Like me, Hope is a law-abiding married mother of senior citizenship. A few hours into my session, the Hon. Rev. Simon Lokodo—Minister of Ethics and Integrity—walked into the room.

 

The Minister introduced himself and proceeded to give a lecture on ethics and morality. In addition, he accused the gathering of being an illegal assembly ‘recruiting’ people into homosexuality, even insinuating that we were having sex in the meeting room. Then, in a strange twist of events, the Minister declared the meeting disbanded. Everybody was just told to go home. Kasha Nabagesera, activist and conference Convenor was threatened with arrest, while one of the participants who came from Sweden was challenged to explain how she had even entered the country. Soon after closing the meeting, the Minister was heard telling somebody over the telephone, “Yes, I have just disbanded them.”

 

Prior to his entry into the meeting, the Minister sent a message to the conference Convenor requesting details of the meeting. The program and all the training materials relating to the conference were sent to him, and the Minister asked to sit in on the proceedings. There being nothing to hide, the Convenor invited him to attend the meeting. Little did we know that the Minister would flare up in anger, make baseless accusations about the gathering and order the meeting closed. I was personally shocked by the action of the Minister, and the level of violent infuriation and intolerance he displayed. For a man of God, I saw no compassion, a great deal of prejudice and an utter unwillingness to listen. The Minister was too angry to hear good sense and simply failed to respond to any pleas for reason, ignoring both myself and Hope.

 

Reflecting on what happened on Tuesday, it is quite clear to me that the Minister over-stepped all boundaries of rational behavior. But more importantly, he blatantly violated the Law. In the first instance, every Ugandan has the right to assemble, speak freely and to have an education. This was a workshop convened to conduct training in skills that every citizen is entitled to. Secondly, although the Minister even went so far as to make the laughable claim that the gathering could have been planning a military coup or was plotting to disrupt national security, there is not an iota of evidence to support either claim. But I was most shocked that the Minister asserted that the government had all the right and the power to stop any kind of gathering that was taking place anywhere in the country; what a statement of arrogance and unbridled power! I find this wholly unacceptable and unsupported by any provision in the law. It is well known that if a gathering is to be stopped, there must be reasonable grounds to do so accompanied by the relevant legal documents, such as a court instruction or a Police order. The Hon. Minister was in possession of neither.

 

Tuesday’s actions by the Hon. Minister do not have any support in the 1995 Constitution of Uganda, or in any law known to me. Indeed, as I look ahead to the future Uganda that I want my grandchildren to live and thrive in, it is not the one I witnessed on Tuesday. Impunity comes in many guises; while the fascist actions of that day focused on a small group of activists, there is no telling who the target will be tomorrow. Autocratic government officials like the Rev. Simon Lokodo belong to an era I thought we had left far behind.

By: Dr Hilda Tadria

 

Thank you for your support to the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF). As of December 2011, AWDF has awarded US$ 19,190,870 to 800 women’s rights organisations in 42 African countries

Learn more about AWDF’s World AIDS Day Programme: World AIDS Day Programme Review

[tp lang=”fr” not_in=”en”]The Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, on Friday, (November 25), signed the gender-based violence bill passed into Law recently by the State House of Assembly, in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital. The Assembly had passed the bill into Law on November 2, a day after it conducted a public hearing that attracted an unprecedented crowd, including wife of the Governor of Oyo State, Mrs. Florence Ajimobi, to the hallowed chamber. The Deputy Governor of the state, Mrs. Funmilayo Olayinka; Speaker of the House of Assembly, Dr. Adewale Omirin; Chief of Staff, Mr. Yemi Adaramodu and some members of the state executive council witnessed the ceremony. The initiator and chief promoter of the Bill and Wife of the Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, also led its co-sponsors and other stakeholders to the event, which coincided with the International Day of Violence Against Women.Other active players in the sponsorship of the bill were the state ministry of women affairs, social development & gender empowerment, office of the special adviser to the governor on planning and Millennium Development Goals, as well as the state chapter of International Federation of Women Lawyers.

The new Law was in response to gross abuses affecting individuals or groups disproportionately because of their sex across the state. It seeks to protect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women, children and a minority of men against physical, economic, mental or sexual harm or suffering, as well as threats of such acts,coercion and other deprivations of liberty within the public or private spheres. It frowns on harmful traditional practices, such as Female Genital Mutilation and widowhood rites; imposition of dress codes under any guise; child marriage and criminalising pregnancy outside marriage.

Addressing a press conference after the Bill was singed into Law, the wife of the governor disclosed that the journey that culminated into the eventual signing of the bill started exactly a year ago. She expressed gratitude to the governor, speaker and members of the House Assembly, particularly the House Committee on Women Affairs for working very hard to ensure the speedy passage and signing of the bill into Law. Erelu Fayemi said, “My joy knows no bound today. Exactly one year ago, that is on November 25, 2010, I led a delegation of women to pay a number of advocacy visits to His Excellency, the Governor.“We also went to the House of Assembly and the Judiciary. And those advocacy visits were to commemorate the International Day of Violence against Women.” During these visits, she said that the team requested the stakeholders to give assurances that there would be zero tolerance for all forms of abuse against women and girls, as well as for a legislation to protect women and girls from violence. Erelu Fayemi said that the lobby group also advocated provision of adequate financial, material and technical resources to promote women empowerment and gender equality across the state.She solicited the support of concerned individuals and groups to ensure the continued relevance of the new Law in the lives of ordinary citizens it seeks to protect.

Addressing the gathering, the governor noted that at least one in every five women had been physically or sexually abused at one time or the other, which he said was a universal reality in every society. He said it became expedient to put appropriate legislation in place to combat violence against women, given its devastating effect on women’s wellbeing and development. The governor said, “Cautions should be put in place for severe penalties against perpetrators, protection of victims and enhancement of public awareness on the danger of continued silence due to cultural influence and shame. “I wish to state here equivocally that the state government would continue to protect human rights and ensure justice takes its course against those who commit crimes rather than sweep it under carpet. “I enjoin all segments of the society, including the organised private sector, faith-based organisations and other non-state actors to get more involved in stemming the ugly trend of violence and abuse against women and girl-child.”[/tp]

[tp lang=”fr” not_in=”en”]Le gouverneur de l’État d’Ekiti, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, le vendredi (25 Novembre), a signé la loi sur la violence fondée sur le sexe dans la loi adoptée récemment par la Chambre d’état de l’Assemblée, à Ado-Ekiti, la capitale de l’Etat. L’Assemblée avait adopté le projet de loi le 2 Novembre, une journée après avoir tenu une audience publique qui a attiré une foule sans précédent, y compris l’épouse du gouverneur de l’État d’Oyo, Mme Florence Ajimobi, à la chambre sanctifié. Le vice-gouverneur de l’Etat, Mme Funmilayo Olayinka; Président de la Chambre de l’Assemblée, M. Adewale Omirin; Chef d’état-major, M. Yemi Adaramodu et certains membres du conseil exécutif de l’Etat ont assisté à la cérémonie. L’initiateur et principal promoteur du projet de loi et l’épouse du gouverneur, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, ont également conduit ses co-sponsors et autres parties prenantes à l’événement, qui a coïncidé avec la Journée internationale de la violence contre les femmes.D’autres acteurs dans le parrainage du projet de loi était le ministère de l’état d’affaires de la femme, le développement social et l’autonomisation des femmes, le bureau du conseiller spécial du gouverneur sur les Objectifs du Millénaire pour le développement et la planification, ainsi que le chapitre de l’État de la Fédération internationale des femmes juristes.

La nouvelle loi venait en réponse à des violations flagrantes affectant des individus ou des groupes de façon disproportionnée en raison de leur sexe à travers l’état. Il vise à protéger les droits de l’homme et des libertés fondamentales des femmes, des enfants et une minorité d’hommes contre un préjudice physique, économique, psychologique, sexuel ou des souffrances, ainsi que la menace de tels actes, la contrainte ou autres privations de liberté dans le public ou les sphères privées. Il fronce les sourcils sur les pratiques traditionnelles néfastes, comme les mutilations génitales féminines et les rites de veuvage; l’imposition de codes vestimentaires sous quelque forme; le mariage des enfants et de criminaliser la grossesse hors mariage.

Lors d’une conférence de presse après aue le projet de loi a été roussi dans la loi, l’épouse du gouverneur a révélé que le voyage qui a culminé dans la signature éventuelle du projet de loi a commencé il y a exactement un an. Elle a exprimé sa gratitude au gouverneur, au Président et des membres de l’Assembly House, en particulier le Comité de la Chambre des affaires des femmes pour travailler très fort pour assurer l’adoption rapide et la signature du projet de loi. Erelu Fayemi dit, “Ma joie ne connaît pas de limite aujourd’hui. Il ya exactement un an, soit le 25 Novembre 2010, je dirigeais une délégation de femmes afin de payer un certain nombre de visites de plaidoyer à Son Excellence le Gouverneur. “Nous sommes aussi allés à la Chambre de l’Assemblée et du pouvoir judiciaire. Et ces visites de plaidoyer étaient pour commémorer la Journée internationale de la violence à l’égard des femmes “. Au cours de ces visites, elle a dit que l’équipe a demandé aux intervenants de donner des garanties qu’il y aurait une tolérance zéro pour toutes les formes de violence contre les femmes et les filles, ainsi que pour une législation pour protéger les femmes et les filles contre la violence. Erelu Fayemi a déclaré que le groupe de pression a également préconisé la fourniture de ressources financières, ressources matérielles et techniques pour promouvoir l’autonomisation des femmes et l’égalité des sexes à travers le state.Elle a sollicité l’appui des individus et des groupes concernés pour assurer la pertinence de la nouvelle loi dans la vie des citoyens ordinaires, qu’elle cherche à protéger.

S’adressant à l’assemblée, le gouverneur a noté qu’au moins une femme sur cinq avaient été agressées physiquement ou sexuellement à un moment ou l’autre, ce qu’il a dit était une réalité universelle dans chaque société. Il a dit qu’il est devenu opportun de mettre une législation appropriée en place pour combattre la violence contre les femmes, compte tenu de son effet dévastateur sur le bien-être et le développement des femmes. Le gouverneur a déclaré, “Des mises en garde devraient être mises en place pour des sanctions sévères contre les auteurs, la protection des victimes et l’amélioration de la sensibilisation du public sur le danger du silence continue en raison de l’influence culturelle et la honte. «Je tiens à préciser ici que le gouvernement de l’État continuera à protéger les droits de l’homme et de garantir la justice, cela suit son cours contre ceux qui commettent des crimes plutôt que de balayer sous le tapis. «J’enjoins tous les segments de la société, y compris le secteur privé organisé, les organisations confessionnelles et d’autres acteurs non étatiques à participer davantage à endiguer la tendance hideuse de la violence et les abus contre les femmes et les filles.”[/tp]

The African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) instituted a World AIDS Day programme in 2003 as part of its commitment to combating HIV & AIDS, and in particular the disproportionate effect of HIV & AIDS on African women. To mark World Aids Day in 2011, AWDF is supporting 20 grantee partners in 15 African countries to carry out a range of activities including:

Women in Action Against Gender Based Violence in Cameroun are holding a Voluntary Counselling and Testing service, a route march and a discussion with people living with HIV&AIDS on the benefits of drug adherence and positive living.

Citizen Participation Trust (CP Trust) in Zimbabwe have developed educational material on HIV & AIDS with the goal of intensifying prevention education and facilitating awareness creation on universal access to treatment.

Si Jeunesse Savait (SJS) in the Democratic Republic of Congo are producing radio jingles on the link between violence against women and HIV for dissemination via 3 radio stations in Kinshasa.

The full list of funded grantee partners is as follows:

Women United Against Aids in Ghana (WUAAG)	Ghana
Fairladies G.H. Group Kenya	Kenya
German Co-operation Sierra Leone (GEKO-SL)	Liberia
Heal the Land Initiative in Nigeria (HELIN)	Nigeria
SAIL – Uganda (Spread AIDS Awareness Information & Learning in Uganda)	Uganda
Better Health Action Group Uganda (Better HAG Uganda)	Uganda
Rural Women’s Movement (RWM)	South Africa
Youth Empowerment Initiative (YEI)	Uganda
Women’s Advocates Sierra Leone	Sierra Leone
Association of Kenyan Housewives Against HIV/AIDS (AKHA)	Kenya
Citizen Participation Trust (CP Trust)	Zimbabwe
The Women’s Commission of the Graduate Students Association of Ghana (Legon Branch)	Ghana
Youth Impact Organization	Malawi
United Youth for Peace, Education, Transparency & Development in Liberia (UYPETDL) Inc.	Liberia
Burera Volunteers for Development Association (BVDA)	Rwanda
Si Jeunesse Savait (SJS)	DRC
ONG-EPDI: L’Eveil pour la Promotion et le Developpement Integre	Benin
Cameroon Medical Women Association (CMWA)	Cameroun
Ndola Nutrition Group	Zambia
Women in Action Against Gender Based Violence (Wacameroon)	Cameroun

Funding for women’s rights organisations working on HIV & AIDS is even more critical in the current context of funding cuts by major donor agencies. On this day, AWDF also remembers all those who have lost their lives to HIV & AIDS, and the millions of people affected by the virus.

[tp lang=”en” not_in=”fr”]PRESS RELEASE

 

For Immediate Release

 

Barclays Bank Ghana Treasury Supports Nana Yaa Memorial Trust For Good Quality Reproductive Health

Accra, Ghana, 25^th November 2011 – As part of its Make a Difference Day (M.A.D.D), Barclays Bank Ghana Treasury supported the Nana Yaa Memorial Trust for Good Quality Reproductive Health (NYMT) with equipment, cleaning agents and refurbishment valued at GHC3, 000. The health centre is an affiliate and a grantee of the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF).

 

Barclays Bank Ghana as part of its corporate social responsibility sets aside a day to make a difference in the communities in which they work. This involves colleague volunteerism which is the pillar of this day and the setting aside of time to assist in various activities.

 

The Nana Yaa Memorial Trust for Good Quality Reproductive Health (NYMT) based in Ogbojo, Greater Accra advocates on maternal health issues, and provides free medical health services to women in the Adenta locality.

 

At a ceremony to handover the items, Mr George Asante, Country Treasurer for Barclays Ghana stated, “We are pleased to be able to support such an important cause. The issue of maternal health is critical, and close to the heart of all of us at Barclays Bank Ghana”. Mrs Felicia Darkwah, founder of NYMT expressed her gratitude to Barclays Treasury for choosing to support the centre, and to AWDF, which has supported the trust for the past 6 years.

 

Ms Abigail Burgesson, Special Programmes Manager at AWDF described this initiative by Barclays Ghana Treasury “as an important model which all corporate bodies should follow. It is our hope that this is only the beginning of a great relationship between Barclays and the women’s rights organisations that AWDF supports”.

 

ENDS

Press Enquiries

Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah (AWDF Programme Officer for Communications)

Tel: +233 302 521 257 (Ghana)

Email: nana@africlub.net/awdf

Website: www.africlub.net/awdf[/tp]

[tp lang=”en” not_in=”fr”]COMMUNIQUÉ DE PRESSE

Pour diffusion immédiate

Barclays Bank Ghana Treasury appuie Nana Yaa Memorial Trust pour la bonne qualité de sa santé reproductive.

Accra, au Ghana, le 25 Novembre 2011 – Dans le cadre de sa Journée Faites la Différence (MADD), Barclays Bank Ghana Treasury a soutenu la Nana Yaa Memorial Trust pour la bonne qualité de sa santé reproductive (NYMT) avec de l’équipement, des agents, des rénovations et nettoyage d’une valeur de 3, 000 GHC. Le centre de santé est une filiale et un bénéficiaire du Fonds de développement des femmes africaines (AWDF).

Barclays Bank Ghana dans le cadre de sa responsabilité sociale d’entreprise met de côté une journée pour faire la différence dans les communautés dans lesquelles ils travaillent. Cela implique le bénévolat des collègues qui est le pilier de cette journée et la mise de côté de temps pour aider à diverses activités.

Le Nana Yaa Memorial Trust reconnu pour la bonne qualité de sa santé reproductive (NYMT) est basé à Ogbojo, les défenseurs d’Accra sur les questions de santé maternelle fournissent des services de santé médicaux gratuits aux femmes dans la localité d’Adenta.

Lors d’une cérémonie à remettre les articles, M. George Asante, Trésorier local pour Barclays Ghana a déclaré, «Nous sommes heureux d’être en mesure de soutenir une cause aussi importante. La question de la santé maternelle est critique, et à proximité du cœur de chacun d’entre nous à la Barclays Bank Ghana “. Mme Felicia Darkwah, fondatrice de NYMT a exprimé sa gratitude à Barclays Bank Ghana Treasur pour avoir choisi de soutenir le centre, et à AWDF, qui a soutenu la fiducie pour les 6 dernières années.

Mme Abigail Burgesson, directrice des programmes spéciaux à AWDF décrit cette initiative par Barclays Bank Ghana Treasury “comme un modèle important dont tous les organes sociaux devraient suivre. Il est notre espoir que ce soit seulement le début d’une grande relation entre Barclays et les organisations de femmes soutenues par AWDF “.

Questions Presse

Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah (AWDF Programme Officer for Communications)

Tel: +233 302 521 257 (Ghana)

Email: nana@africlub.net/awdf

Website: www.africlub.net/awdf[/tp]

The following organisations have been supported by the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) to carry out a range of activities in support of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign. Grantee partners for 2011 are:

Centre for Legal Rights Education, Advocacy and Development (CLREAD)	Kenya
Christian Women Child Ministries (CWCM-Uganda)	Uganda
Childolescent and Family Survival Organization – Women’s Rights Action Group (CAFSO-WRAG)	Nigeria
Women’s Initiative for Self-Actualization (WISA)	Nigeria
Kikandwa Rural Communities Development Organization (KIRUCODO)	Uganda
Echoes of Women in Africa Initiative (ECOWA)	Nigeria
Malawi Human Rights for Women with Disabilities	Malawi
Oromia Development Association	Ethiopia
Defence of Human Rights and Citizen Rights – Tanzania Chapter	Tanzania
Lokiaka Community Development Centre	Nigeria
Creative Centre for Communication and Development (CCCD)	Zimbabwe
Guidance and Counselling Development Association (GCDA)	Nigeria
Justice for Widows and Orphans Project	Zambia
Conscience International (CI)	Gambia
SOS Femmes en Danger	DRC
Reseau SOS Femmes en Detresse (SOS FED)	Burundi
Association Femmes Artisanes de la Paix (FAP)	DRC
Forum for African Women Educationalist (FAWE/Benin)	Benin
Organisation des Femmes Actives de Cote d’Ivoire	Cote d’Ivoire
Movement contre les Armes Legeres en Afrique de l’Ouest (MALAO)	Senegal

 

16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence commences on 25^th November and ends on 10^th December. Globally, women’s rights activists use this period to draw even more attention to the violence that women face on a day to day basis. This year’s theme, From Peace in the Home to Peace in the World: Let’s Challenge Militarism and End Violence Against Women highlights the issue of militarism and its violent repercussions for women and girls.

During this campaign period, AWDF will also join in an international tweetathon alongside its international partners. Follow @awdf01 via twitter for more updates.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“AWDF has been that group that has stood by Women Peace and Security Network since we started…they gave us our first grant, but beyond that you rarely see donors who are concerned about the welfare of an institution, who are concerned about the little day to day things that are happening, who are concerned about the people who run the organisation so I say they walk the talk…the women who work there are fantastic…The Women Peace and Security Network has been in existence for 5 years, and for 5 years AWDF has stood by us.” Leymah Gbowee in an interview aired on ‘Standpoint’, GTV, 28^th October 2011

Watch the full interview here

According to an old Chinese proverb, “women hold up half the sky”. In the battle against hunger and poverty, women, and especially rural women, most certainly hold up the heavier half.

 

In order to ensure food security at the household level it is important to realise the critical role women play, and to include them in all development processes towards the achievement of food security. Throughout the world, women are the principal guarantors of nutrition, food safety and quality at household and community levels. They are the ones who often produce, purchase, handle, prepare and serve food to families and community institutions. Therefore the different rights, responsibilities and decision-making abilities of women and men need to be understood to improve food security and nutrition.

 

Development interventions aiming to improve access to food often bypass women. They give little attention to designing programmes that suit woman’s needs, education, and cultural backgrounds, or their aspirations for improving their economic and social conditions. Whereas many governments, international donor agencies and NGOs have embraced the MDGs as one of the ways to eradicate extreme poverty in the world, not much has been done to support the majority of the population affected by poverty and hunger in Africa. We are just 4 years away from 2015, and in order to achieve goal one; eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, special efforts must be devoted to promoting rural development and fostering better living conditions for rural marginalised poor women. There is a need for strong specific focus on rural women through addressing key gender disparities at various levels in the distribution and access to productive resources, information and technology.

 

Understanding poverty, the hunger cycle, and survival strategies is important for finding the best ways of supporting rural women’s productive activities. As several studies have shown, farming households adopt ‘safety first’ behaviour, including coping strategies to deal with external climatic shocks. A common early strategy that has been observed is the reduction in food intake, or change in diet. Women may switch to cheaper, less desirable and perhaps less nutritious foods or they may reduce the number of meals they take.

Women are increasing their contribution to household food security either by growing food or by earning income to purchase food. Women usually try to do both because of urgent needs. Since the agricultural crops produced by households rarely provide all the requirements of the family, cash income is necessary to meet the other basic needs. Hence women engage in off farm activities to earn extra income for food to feed their families.

 

The rights of women to land need to be given attention because of the continued importance of land to incomes, employment and food security. The important roles women play in agricultural production, the weakness of women’s formal claims over land, and their apparent vulnerability to loss as land becomes scarce are some areas that require urgent attention. Therefore, gender systems that only guarantee rights of access to resources, rather than offer opportunities of control and ownership of those resources to recipients perpetuate gender inequality.

 

Lack of women’s access to credit is a serious obstacle to improving women’s agricultural productivity, as without credit women farmers are unable to buy inputs such as seeds, fertilizers and improved technologies, or are unable to hire labour. Women’s limited autonomy implies that they control far fewer marketable assets and thus may lack the opportunity to build independent reputations for creditworthiness.

From food production to control over income, indications are that the position of women within subsistence economies is growing increasingly insecure despite their undisputedly critical roles in child bearing, rearing and feeding of families. Income in the hands of women tends to be associated with an enhancement in the family, particularly children’s, welfare. Income in the hands of men appears to increase the share of household expenditure on items consumed mainly by men.

 

Women’s inability to participate and influence critical decisions around household livelihoods is having a dire consequence on their ability to be effective in providing food for the household. Given the traditionally limited role of women in decision-making processes at the household, village and national levels in most cultures, their needs, interests and constraints are often not reflected in policymaking processes and laws which are important for poverty reduction, food security and environmental sustainability

 

Neglecting women as agricultural producers and resource managers inhibits the attainment of food security especially amongst poor households. Thus, if goal one of the MDG’s has to be achieved, marginalised rural women need greater access to education, information, credit, appropriate technology, and other resources that will ease their existing labour burden, and ensure the welfare of their families and themselves. If women are to be fully effective in contributing to food and nutrition security, discrimination against women must be eliminated and the value of their role promoted. This further requires policy reform in support of an equal playing field for both men and women. Gender inequality is deeply rooted in entrenched attitudes, societal institutions, and market forces, political commitment at the highest international and national levels is essential to institute the policies that can trigger social change and to allocate the resources necessary to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment for food security.

 

Nafi Chinery

Capacity Building Officer

AWDF