The contribution of voluntary sustainability systems to women’s participation and leadership in decision-making: A strategic evidence review

As more Voluntary Sustainability Standards/Systems (VSS) increase their efforts to address gender inequality in agri-food value chains, the timing is ripe to reflect on progress to inform future strategies and research. This paper revisits the body of evidence on VSS and gender equality through the lens of SDG5.5 specifically, to identify if and especially how VSS may support women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership in decision-making in rural communities. The objectives of this strategic evidence review were two-fold: first, to review what the existing research on VSS and gender equality reveals on the contributions made specifically to women’s participation and leadership in decision-making; and secondly, to identify knowledge gaps to inform the direction of future research on this topic

Toward a feminist agroecology

Agroecology is gaining ground as a movement, science, and set of practices designed to advance a food systems transformation which subverts the patterns of farmer exploitation currently entrenched in dominant agricultural models. In order for agroecology to achieve its espoused twin aims of social and ecological wellbeing, women and other historically marginalized stakeholders must be empowered and centered as the movement’s protagonists. The importance of gender and social considerations is not limited to patently social aspects of the agroecological agenda, but bears relevance in every dimension of agroecology. Yet, issues related to gender have commanded relatively little attention in the agroeocological literature. In this paper, we review HLPE’s 13 defining principles of agroecology through a feminist lens to demonstrate the ways in which human dimensions and power dynamics are interwoven in every principle. Through this analysis, we demonstrate that a feminist approach is instrumental to establish a socially just and ecologically sustainable agroecological transition

Developing gender-equitable ecological restoration initiatives: A synthesis of guidance to improve restoration practice

Ecological restoration has the potential to contribute to all Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Yet, social issues, including gender relations, often remain unaddressed in ecological restoration initiatives. As the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration begins, it is critical to learn from existing knowledge and experiences to restore degraded lands in ways that enhance the equity of restoration, and ensure that restoration initiatives and agendas leave no one behind. This 'guide to guides' places existing resources and guidance materials (frameworks, tools, guidelines, and manuals) designed to enhance equity in restoration initiatives in a common 'Reach, Benefit, Empower, Transform' framework, and highlights the strengths that different resource materials bring to understanding and planning for gender-equitable restoration. As per the framework, the guide provides actionable strategies and recommendations for the design, implementation, and monitoring, evaluation, learning and impact assessment (MELIA) of gender-equitable restoration initiatives. The ultimate goal is to enhance the equity and sustainability of restoration initiatives and allow restoration to achieve its full potential to advance all the SDGs

FR2.1: Toward a Feminist Agroecology

Agroecology is gaining ground as a movement, science, and set of practices designed to advance a food systems transformation which subverts the patterns of farmer exploitation currently entrenched in dominant agricultural models. In order for agroecology to achieve its espoused twin aims of social and ecological wellbeing, women and other historically marginalized stakeholders must be empowered and centered as the movement's protagonists. The importance of gender and social considerations is not limited to patently social aspects of the agroecological agenda, but bears relevance in every dimension of agroecology. Yet, issues related to gender have commanded relatively little attention in the agroeocological literature. This presentation reviews HLPE's 13 defining principles of agroecology through a feminist lens to demonstrate the ways in which human dimensions and power dynamics are interwoven in every principle. Through this analysis, we demonstrate that a feminist approach is instrumental to establish a socially just and ecologically sustainable agroecological transition

Gender equity and social inclusion in the water-energy-food-ecosystems (WEFE) nexus: Frameworks and tools for moving from resource-centric to people-centric WEFE nexus approaches

This learning module focuses on how to integrate gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) considerations in WEFE approaches to contribute to more effective and equitable WEFE initiatives for current and future generations. Intentionally focusing on GESI in the design, implementation, and monitoring of WEFE initiatives is critical to ensure that these initiatives do not harm – and, rather, benefit – women and vulnerable groups and communities. At the end of this lesson, learners will be able to: (1) Explain the importance of GESI for achieving sustainable development outcomes in the WEFE nexus, (2) Describe common GESI challenges and issues that WEFE projects face, (3) Describe the main steps for better addressing GESI consideration

TH3.3: Beyond crops: Towards gender equality in forestry, fisheries, aquaculture, and livestock development

The fisheries, aquaculture, forestry, and livestock sectors are critical for sustaining rural livelihoods and achieving global food and nutrition security. Yet each of these sectors embeds important gender and other social inequalities, hindering people who rely on these livelihood systems from achieving their full potential. In this background paper for the Report on The Status of Rural Women in Agri-food Systems: 10 Years after the SOFA 2010-11, we review the literature to examine gender gaps in relation to each sector, their implications for achieving multiple food system outcomes, what has worked to reduce inequalities, and the potential these sectors hold for advancing gender equality as an outcome in itself. We demonstrate that, despite specificities across sectors, similar gender barriers limit the benefits women receive from fisheries, aquaculture, forestry, and livestock. These constraints, which occur at multiple levels, include: the invisibility and undervaluation of rural women's labor and their disproportionately heavy labor burdens, limited and precarious control over resources, norms that hinder women's voice and influence in decision-making and governance, and exclusionary institutions such as resource-user groups and extension and data systems. Drawing on Njuki et al.'s (2021) Gendered Food Systems framework, we demonstrate that, to achieve transformative change in food systems, changes in each sector are required in women's agency, access to and control over resources, gender norms, and policies and governance. Such changes can improve dietary outcomes, gender equality and women's empowerment, economic and livelihood outcomes, and environmental outcomes. To conclude, we argue that closing gender gaps across sectors requires multipronged strategies that simultaneously engage these four change pathways to lift structural barriers to inequality

Toward a Feminist Agroecology

Agroecology is gaining ground as a movement, science, and set of practices designed to advance a food systems transformation which subverts the patterns of farmer exploitation currently entrenched in dominant agricultural models. In order for agroecology to achieve its espoused twin aims of social and ecological wellbeing, women and other historically marginalized stakeholders must be empowered and centered as the movement’s protagonists. The importance of gender and social considerations is not limited to patently social aspects of the agroecological agenda, but bears relevance in every dimension of agroecology. Yet, issues related to gender have commanded relatively little attention in the agroeocological literature. In this paper, we review HLPE’s 13 defining principles of agroecology through a feminist lens to demonstrate the ways in which human dimensions and power dynamics are interwoven in every principle. Through this analysis, we demonstrate that a feminist approach is instrumental to establish a socially just and ecologically sustainable agroecological transition

Toward a feminist agroecology: achieving a socially just and sustainable food systems transformation

Food systems must be transformed if we are to feed the world without destroying the planet. Agroecological principles are central to creating and sustaining that change, but their transformative potential must be strengthened by better integrating critical gender and social inclusion considerations into agroecological approaches. In order for agroecology to achieve its espoused twin aims of social and ecological wellbeing, women and other historically marginalized stakeholders must be empowered and centered as the movement’s protagonists. Based on the article ‘Toward a Feminist Agroecology’1, this brief outlines key gender issues that must be addressed to achieve an equitable and sustainable agroecological transition

Inclusive participatory approaches: A facilitator’s guide

In community engagement and participatory processes, facilitators must make intentional efforts and adopt inclusive strategies to include marginalized and frequently overlooked groups. Yet, there is a lack of guidance on how to inclusively facilitate participatory processes. Facilitators are therefore often poorly prepared to engage with the power relations that underlie these processes, including those between the facilitator and participants and among participants themselves. This guide addresses this shortcoming by presenting strategies that have been shown to enhance the meaningful participation of women and marginalized groups in participatory processes. The aim is to equip facilitators with tools to create inclusive participatory spaces and community engagement. Although it refers to processes related to natural resource management, the guide is also applicable to the facilitation of participatory processes focusing on other issues or fields of significance to communities