Thirty-first session

6-23 July 2004

Item 5 of the provisional agenda*

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

Reports provided by the specialized agencies of the United Nations 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 (FAO)

1.On 25 February 2004, the Secretariat, on behalf of the Committee, invited the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to submit to the Committee a report on information provided by States to FAO on the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in areas falling within the scope of its activities, which would supplement the information contained in the reports of the States parties to the Convention that will be considered at the thirty-first session.

2.Other information sought by the Committee refers to activities, programmes and policy decisions undertaken by FAO to promote the implementation of the Convention.

3.The report annexed hereto has been submitted in compliance with the request of the Committee.

Annex

Report of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations for submission to the thirty-first session of the Committee on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women

Angola

The population of Angola was estimated to be 12.4 million in 2000, of which 66 per cent live in rural areas. As much as 72 per cent of the economically active population work in agriculture.

Women in agriculture

The total share of female participation in the labour force in 2000 was 46 per cent, of which 83 per cent work in agriculture. Of the total number of people economically active in agriculture, 54 per cent are women.

Activities of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations for the empowerment of rural women and gender equality

FAO implemented a project entitled “Improved Land Tenure and Food Security for Internally Displaced Persons and Resident Communities”. The project targets displaced persons, both women and men, from the provinces of Huila and Bengo. The project seeks to re-establish land boundaries in a participatory manner and, through capacity-building, revise the existing land distribution laws and support the elaboration of a land-policy platform.

Through the Dimitra project, FAO collects detailed information on organizations and projects concerning rural women, food security and sustainable development in Africa and the Near East. By making this information available, the project aims at increasing 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 promote information exchange and dissemination. There is one organization in Angola listed in the Dimitra database and this organization is engaged in two projects that benefit rural women — the Medical Post Rehabilitation Project and the Emergency Sanitation and Hygienic Environment Project. Another three projects are listed in the Dimitra database that target rural women — Public Health Care, Primary Health Care, and Rehabilitation and Development.

Bangladesh

The population of Bangladesh was estimated to be 143.8 million in 2002, out of which 73 per cent live in rural areas. Approximately 84 per cent of the population of Bangladesh depend directly or indirectly on agriculture, with 53 per cent of the total economically active population working in agriculture.

Women in agriculture

The total share of female participation in the labour force in 2002 was 42 per cent with 66 per cent working in agriculture. Of the total number of people economically active in agriculture, 50 per cent are women.

Activities of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations for the empowerment of rural women and gender equality

FAO implemented projects in Bangladesh addressing rural women’s access to productive resources, training and nutrition. In certain areas provisions for basic resources, namely, access to drinking water and health care, are also supported. The Integrated Horticulture and Nutrition Development Project focuses on training rural women in horticulture production and home garden management, with the aim to increase produce for market and home consumption, nutrition and post-harvest processing. Seventy per cent of the project clients are women.

FAO implemented the Empowerment of Coastal Fishing Communities for Livelihood Security project, where women are mobilized and form credit and savings groups to create economic enterprises related to agriculture and livestock and fishery processing. The project promotes gender equality in that equal numbers of men’s and women’s groups are mobilized in village-based organizations, so as to encourage women’s participation in the development and improvement of their access to resources. The project also supports gender- and community-based gender awareness training for partners from the Government and non-governmental organization sector.

The Special Programme for Food Security, implemented with the assistance of FAO, mobilizes women and promotes the inclusion of women in village-based organizations, as well as representatives in the village committees, to enhance their access to economic and social resources. The economic enterprises promoted are homestead crop production, small livestock, nursery development and post-harvest processing of horticulture crops. The project aims to train 2,000 women in diverse production and processing skills and special emphasis is placed on assisting destitute women.

FAO has commissioned a study that will highlight women’s role in biodiversity conservation in relation to rice systems. The study will analyse the implications on food and health security, while focusing on women’s rights in respect of local knowledge in rice livelihood systems.

Dominican Republic

The population of the Dominican Republic was estimated to be 8.3 million for 2000, of which 34 per cent live in rural areas. Only 16 per cent of the economically active population work in agriculture.

Women in agriculture

The total share of female participation in the labour force in 2000 was 33 per cent, but only 2 per cent work in agriculture. Of the total number of people economically active in agriculture 7 per cent are women.

Activities of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations for the empowerment of rural women and gender equality

FAO organized several workshops, in collaboration with La Agencia Interamericana para la Cooperación y el Desarrollo, on participatory research, focusing on rural women and men in the province of Samaná. A total of 360 specialists from different organizations linked with the Asociación de Samanenses Ausentes, Inc. were trained.

Equatorial Guinea

The population of Equatorial Guinea was estimated to be 456,000 in 2000, of which 52 per cent live in rural areas. As much as 70 per cent of the economically active population work in agriculture.

Women in agriculture

The total share of female participation in the labour force in 2000 was 35 per cent, of which 67 per cent work in agriculture. Of the total number of people economically active in agriculture 45 per cent are women.

Activities of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations for the empowerment of rural women and gender equality

Funds from “FAO Telefood” supported some small projects in Equatorial Guinea, in the area of Malabo. The projects mobilized women and women’s associations that were already involved in agricultural production to sell their produce. The scope of the project was to support women in generating more income in order for them to improve their quality of life, as well as that of their families.

Spain

The population of Spain was estimated to be 40.7 million in 2000, of which 22 per cent live in rural areas. Of the total economically active population, 7 per cent work in agriculture.

Women in agriculture

The total share of female participation in the labour force in 2000 was 37 per cent, but only 6 per cent work in agriculture. Of the total number of people economically active in agriculture 32 per cent are women.

Activities of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations for the empowerment of rural women and gender equality

As a follow-up to the ongoing collaboration with the Regional Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries of Andalucía, FAO organized the fifth socio-economic and gender analysis (SEAGA) training workshop. The goal of this collaboration was to create a pool of national trainers trained in the SEAGA methodology, who subsequently would disseminate this approach at all levels — policy, institutional and field. The five-day workshop trained 25 senior staff from the Ministry. Through this initiative a total of 141 specialists were trained in the SEAGA methodology.