Fortieth session

* CEDAW/C/2008/I/1.

14 January - 1 February 2008

Item 5 of the provisional agenda*

Implementation of article 21 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women

Reports provided by specialized agencies of the United Nations system on the implementation of the Convention in areas falling within the scope of their activities

Note by the Secretary-General

Addendum

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Report of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

I.Bolivia

1.The population of Bolivia was estimated to be approximately 9 million in 2005, 36 per cent of whom were living in rural areas. Forty-three per cent of the economically active population was working in agriculture.

Women in agriculture

2.The total share of female participation in the labour force in 2005 was 38 per cent, 40 per cent working in agriculture. Of the total number of people economically active in agriculture, 35 per cent were women.

Activities for the empowerment of rural women and gender equality

3.Through the Telefood Campaign, which seeks to promote an increased awareness of the urgent need to combat hunger and gender inequality, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has supported 26 projects in Bolivia that focus on poultry-raising, plant and flower production, horticulture and issues relating to the post-harvest period. Since 1998 three Socio-economic and Gender Analysis (SEAGA) Programme workshops have been held to sensitize and train more than 60 representatives of the Ministry of Agrarian Reform, the Ministry of Agriculture and non-governmental organizations. The SEAGA programme is aimed at raising the awareness of development specialists and building their capacity to integrate socio-economic and gender issues into development policies, programmes and projects, with the goal of ensuring that all development strategies take into account the different needs and priorities of men and women.

II.Burundi

4.The population of Burundi was estimated to be approximately 7.5 million in 2005,1 89 per cent of whom were living in rural areas. Ninety per cent of the economically active population was working in agriculture.

Women in agriculture

5.The total share of female participation in the labour force in 2005 was 49 per cent, 97 per cent working in agriculture. Of the total number of people economically active in agriculture, 53 per cent were women.

Activities for the empowerment of rural women and gender equality

6.Through the Telefood Campaign, which seeks to promote an increased awareness of the urgent need to combat hunger and gender inequality, FAO has supported 12 projects in Burundi that focus on establishment of orchards; bee‑keeping; livestock production; goat-breeding; and the establishment of fruit-tree nurseries.

7.There are eight organizations in Burundi listed in the Dimitra project database and 17 projects involving a wide range of activities focusing on potato-growing; rice cultivation; supporting women in the post-war period and supporting cooperatives. Through the Dimitra project, FAO collects detailed information on organizations and projects concerning rural women, food security and sustainable development, mainly in Africa and the Near East. By making this information available, the organizers of the project aim to increase the visibility of rural women’s contribution to development using traditional means of communication and new information technologies. The Dimitra project seeks to increase gender awareness among development actors and to promote information exchange and dissemination.

III.Lebanon

8.The population of Lebanon was estimated to be approximately 3.5 million in 2005,1 12 per cent of whom were living in rural areas. Three per cent of the economically active population was working in agriculture.

Women in agriculture

9.The total share of female participation in the labour force in 2005 was 30 per cent, 3 per cent working in agriculture. Of the total number of people economically active in agriculture, 40 per cent were women.

Activities for the empowerment of rural women and gender equality

10.Through the Telefood Campaign, which seeks to promote an increased awareness of the urgent need to combat hunger and gender inequality, FAO has supported 18 projects in Lebanon focusing on poultry-raising; the establishment of olive nurseries; the cultivation of mushrooms; and the establishment of orchards.

11.There are 25 organizations in Lebanon listed in the Dimitra project database and 52 projects involving a wide range of undertakings in the area of health care, literacy, agricultural production, food processing, microcredit and income-generating activities. Through the Dimitra project, FAO collects detailed information on organizations and projects concerning rural women, food security and sustainable development, mainly in Africa and the Near East. By making this information available, the organizers of the project aim to increase the visibility of rural women’s contribution to development using traditional means of communication and new information technologies. The Dimitra project seeks to increase gender awareness among development actors and to promote information exchange and dissemination.

IV.Morocco

12.The population of Morocco was estimated to be approximately 31 million in 2005,1 41 per cent of whom were living in rural areas. Thirty-three per cent of the economically active population was working in agriculture.

Women in agriculture

13.The total share of female participation in the labour force in 2005 was 36 per cent, 53 per cent working in agriculture. Of the total number of people economically active in agriculture, 58 per cent were women.

Activities for the empowerment of rural women and gender equality

14.Through the Telefood Campaign, which seeks to promote an increased awareness of the urgent need to combat hunger and gender inequality, FAO has supported 15 projects in Morocco focusing on poultry-raising, bee-keeping, honey production and sheep farming.

15.There are 32 organizations in Morocco listed in the Dimitra project database and 48 projects encompassing a wide range of activities focusing on microcredit, goat-rearing, honey production and ceramics production. Through the Dimitra project, FAO collects detailed information on organizations and projects concerning rural women, food security and sustainable development, mainly in Africa and the Near East. By making this information available, the organizers of the project aim to increase the visibility of rural women’s contribution to development using traditional means of communication and new information technologies. The Dimitra project seeks to increase gender awareness among development actors and to promote information exchange and dissemination.

16.A FAO regional workshop on improving the status of livelihoods of rural women and men through natural resources management, especially medicinal and aromatic plants in the context of the Near East, was held in Meknes, Morocco, in May 2005. The objectives of the workshop were to exchange information and experiences; to highlight the role of men and women in natural resources management, with an emphasis on regional medicinal and aromatic plants; and to propose follow-up actions to ensure the sustainable management of natural resources and the improvement of living conditions of rural men and women. The workshop was attended by 20 regional specialists from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Mauritania, Morocco, the Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia and Yemen.

17.In December 2004 a SEAGA training of trainers workshop was held in which 12 specialists from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development participated. The objective of the workshop was to create a pool of SEAGA trainers and to elaborate gender-sensitive programmes based on the country’s needs. The SEAGA programme is aimed at raising the awareness of development specialists and building their capacity to integrate socio-economic and gender issues into development policies, programmes and projects, with the goal of ensuring that all development strategies take into account the different needs and priorities of men and women.