CFS 44–44th Session of the Commitee on World Food Security
Get involved, involve men
Empowering women has been a topic of discussion for so many years yet you can never get bored of these presentations. Why? Well it’s simple. All of us have known the feeling of victory sometime in our lives. Struggling for something and finally getting the freedom of success. That’s also why I enjoy watching others reach their goals after a fight so they too can taste that freedom.
Unfortunately, it seems women have to fight much more, than men: Equal representation, land ownership, access to quality education, bank loans, safe working environments, the list is extensive. This is why as a man I have to do my part and not just sit back and observe.
According to Agusdin Pulugan (President of WAMTI: Indonesian Farmer and Fisher Society Organization) for women to be empowered we must give them influence. He exhorted the participants in the CFS side event that we must involve our men, as the fight is not an isolated one. He was firm in his stance: in agriculture, men are dominant. So we must intervene. We must make a disturbance. This sentiment was also shared by Thato Moagi (LeGae La Banareng Farms) who stated “I want to be disruptive…. I want to be an agent of change…”
Personally, I like their approach. These issues are not only affecting our present but also our future, and only with an aggressive attitude will they be taken seriously. But off course aggression isn’t the only tool, which is why Margaret Munene (Director, Palmhouse Dairies) has put her money where her mouth is with the Palmhouse Trust, aimed at giving access to quality education up to university level. Currently they’ve sponsored 750 students, 350 of which are girls. One of these girls is an HIV orphan pursuing her MBA while sponsoring another young girl who is also an HIV orphan — a true demonstration of women’s empowerment at work! I get excited as I write this, I must say! Margarete also employs 600 farmers in her organization and 80% are women. Women need their own economic power. They need their own bank accounts with money paid directly to them so that their husbands or male relatives can’t take away their financial freedom.
What excites me the most is that on the panel are women that are role models: business owners, leaders, innovators etc. We need more of this. Women need to see themselves in powerful positions as it drives their self-confidence further.
Personally I love seeing successful women, I love seeing people work hard and accomplish great things. This is why I will be part of the fight to empower the women around me and I’m hoping you will to, whether you’re a man or a woman.
This blogpost covers the CFS44 side event “Delivering on the SDGs by focusing on gender equality and women’s empowerment and leadership for better food security and nutrition for all”
Blogpost by Renaldo C. Matamoro, #CFS44 Social Reporter — renaldo868@gmail.com
Photo credit: Pixabay
This post is part of the live coverage during the 44th Session of the Committee on World Food Security, a social media project supported by GFAR. This post is written by one of our social reporters, and represents the author’s views only.
Originally published at www.fao.org.
