In rural Africa and the Middle East, many ecosystems are on the verge of collapse. The interplay of social, ecological, and political-economic forces has compromised the ability of farmers to sustain their precious soil. As a result, farmers, and especially women farmers, face a constant daily struggle to survive.
This paper illustrates the implications of rights-based approaches (RBA) for development practice. It acknowledges that a RBA is increasingly considered essential for holistic development, but also the challanges faced in translating this approach into practice, especially regarding participation and power.
[From the Executive Summary] Women’s access to and control over land is crucial for improving their status and reducing gender inequalities, which in turn are critical factors in reducing the prevalence of poverty, malnutrition and AIDS. Women’s farming activities, which prioritise providing food for the family, have been largely overlooked in agricultural policy. And women’s rights to land and livelihoods have barely been included in HIV strategies and programmes.
This short articles provides three examples of successful projects that have improved women's lives. The example from Mozambique focuses specifically on the change of property laws towards gender equity and the implementation strategy, which included working with traditional leaders to produce legal change.
You can download this publication from the IFPRI website.
This paper reviews the literature on women's empowerment and suggests supporting empowerment both as an end in itself and a way to educational, economical and health development. It begins with a discussion of the various conceptual frameworks of women's empowerment, and then examines the ways in which women's empowerment projects have been implemented and measured, ending by stressing the positive development outcomes of women's empowerment.
This publication discusses the linkages between agriculture and HIV/AIDS through three case studies (Uganda, Namibia and Zambia). It emphasises vulnerability of women and orphans with insecure property rights.
[From the executive summary] In 2002, through research involving 1 889 rural households in northern Namibia, southern Zambia and around Lake Victoria in Uganda, FAO’s Integrated Support to Sustainable Development and Food Security Programme (IP) explored the relationships among HIV/AIDS, gender, agricultural production, food security and rural livelihoods. [...]
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