NGO News Report :: South Asia regional GROW programme, part of Oxfam’s global food justice campaign aims to promote small and marginal women’s producers’ rights
Where: RIGGS INN, 9 Road 23/A, Gulshan 1 Dhaka 1212
When: 4-6th March 2015, Dhaka, 5th March there will be an interactive session with Press at 12:45-5:00 PM
Background
Given women’s critical role in food security and sustainable agriculture, it is crucial that women’s contribution in agriculture and food security is recognized. At the same time, it is urgently required to highlight the challenges women face in playing multi faceted role for the family, for the society, and for the whole nation. There is a need to support rural women to take on strong leadership roles by strengthening their movements and raising their voices from village to country and international levels, and informing opinion- and policymakers about their issues that will minimise the barriers to rural women’s assertion of their rights and their recognition as powerful agents in food security and agricultural development.
At the Regional Women Farmer Forum around 5-6 champion rural women from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will share their stories, the problems they have to face day by day, will bring their voices together, identify their common issues and demands, develop a joint action plan and help them realize their power to bring changes in their current situation. The event will be attended by media representatives from the region.
An exhibition of photos and different communication material from and about the women farmers will be presented at the venue. A cultural event will be organized and presented by the participants to get to know each other better and socialize.
A multi-country research on Women and Land Rights – including country case studies of India, Nepal and Pakistan – will be launched at the event, giving evidence base on the above issues women farmers have to face and recommendations for the enhancement of their situation.
The Women Travel Journal – collecting stories written by the rural women themselves from South Asia and South East Asia shared both online and in a publication – will be launched as well during the event by some of the women who have written the journal.
The women will also visit some projects and institutions in Dhaka, to understand better the commonalities and differences they are facing.
Participants
• 5-6 rural champion women from the region
• CSOs working with women farmers from the region
• Media and regional journalists
• Oxfam staff (national, regional, international)
• Campaign and program partners in Bangladesh
Themes to be covered
• Land rights struggle: women’s access to land and control over land; mainstream gender into agricultural practices; national policy asks
• Food security and right to food and access to food
• Mainstreaming gender in agriculture system ( their access to government schemes, training program and credit system)
• Climate change impact on farming and women’s everyday life
• Climate adaptation methods used by women farmers
