PROMOTING GENDER EQUALITY IN AGRICULTURAL INVESTMENTS IN LAND IN AFRICA

Transcription

1 PROMOTING GENDER EQUALITY IN AGRICULTURAL INVESTMENTS IN LAND IN AFRICA NOVEMBER 30 t DECEMBER 1, 2017 IN ABUJA, NIGERIA This cnference n the gender dimensins f agricultural investments in land aims t strengthen the plicy dialgue n securing wmen land rights in Africa and imprve land gvernance and fd security in West Africa. It is being rganized by the Ecnmic Cmmunity f West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament, tgether with the Internatinal Institute fr Sustainable Develpment, Oxfam and the Fd and Agriculture Organizatin (FAO). It will cnvene Nvember 30 t December 1, 2017 in Abuja, Nigeria during the 2nd Ordinary Sessin f the ECOWAS Parliament. Backgrund and Cntext Prmting gender equality and wmen s empwerment is increasingly recgnized as a key driver fr fd security, pverty reductin and rural develpment. Hwever, equal participatin f wmen and men in ecnmic, scial and plitical life is far frm being realized. The case is nt any different in West Africa where wmen s rights t land wnership and cntrl cntinue t be neglected, despite stakehlders highlighting the fact that agriculture is key t wmen s livelihds. These inequalities are multifaceted, multi-causal and pse majr challenges t Africa s aspiratins in Agenda 2030 and Agenda 2063 fr the Africa we want. In recent years, the rising interest in acquiring African farmland fr agricultural investments has seen cmpanies acquire large parcels f land fr agri-investments. While such investments can create jbs, imprve access t markets and supprt infrastructure, the emerging research n this recent phenmenn has revealed cncurrent risks, including widespread alienatin f land frm lcal cmmunities withut adequate cmpensatin and the marginalizatin f smallhlder farmers a majrity f whm are wmen, therefre entrenching gender inequality further. This is als because wmen s tenure rights tend t be mre insecure. Hence, land acquisitin by private cmpanies has, in several cases, cntributed t further undermining wmen s access t land, with negative spill-ver effects fr husehld fd security. Differently frm investments based n large-scale acquisitin, investments that adpt mre inclusive business mdels can enable farmers and cmmunities t retain cntrl ver their land, and thus prvide greater livelihd benefits. Nevertheless, thse schemes tend t be dminated by male farmers. There is als evidence that cllabrative mdels, such as utgrwer schemes, 1

2 can alter gendered land use patterns at the husehld level and entail cnsequences n husehld fd security. Thus, there are many factrs that determine whether land investments will cntribute t pverty alleviatin, fd and nutritin security, and wmen s rights and gender equality in Africa. These factrs include the type f cntract, natinal regulatins and lcal systems gverning land tenure, the behaviur and gals f the investr, and lcal cultures that shape gender nrms and relatins at the husehld and cmmunity levels. Internatinal framewrks that prmte mre respnsible investment in agriculture emphasize gender equality. This includes the Vluntary Guidelines fr the Respnsible Gvernance f Tenure f Land, Fisheries and Frests in the Cntext f Natinal Fd Security, the Principles fr Respnsible Investment in Agriculture and Fd Systems, and the Guiding Principles n Large Scale Land Based Investment in Africa. These framewrks ech the cmmitments made by the heads f state and gvernments in Africa in the Framewrk and Guidelines n Land Plicy in Africa t fight pverty, imprve scial and ecnmic standards, and prmte gender equality in all aspects f sci-plitical and ecnmic spheres, including access t and cntrl f land and ther natural resurces. This cnference will prvide valuable pprtunities fr learning and frming partnerships t further supprt these cmmitments. Objectives f the Cnference Wmen accunt fr per cent f smallhlder farmers and cmprise the largest percentage f the wrkfrce in the agricultural sectr. Inequalities between wmen and men in access t land, prductive resurces, incme-generating activities and public cnsultatin spaces seriusly undermine wmen s capacity t cntribute t the achievement f Sustainable Develpment Gals (SDGs). The ECOWAS Parliament is empwered t cnsider issues cncerning human rights and fundamental freedms f citizens, cmmunity plicy n envirnment, amng thers, and make recmmendatins t the apprpriate institutins and/r rgans f the cmmunity. Respnsible investment in land is an issue f human rights, thus the prpsed cnference will seek t: Understand the imprtance f prmting a gender equality and wmen s empwerment apprach t agricultural investment in land Share recent research, learning, prgramming and experience n gender and agricultural investments in Africa, including: Present the IISD reprt, Prmting Gender Equality in Freign Agricultural Investments: Lessns frm vluntary sustainability standards Disseminate the Oxfam-IISD Gendered Tl n Meaningful Cmmunity Engagement with Large Scale Land Based Investments (LSLBI) in Agriculture in Africa 2

3 Present the FAO prgram, Prmting gender-equitable and inclusive landrelated investment plicies and regulatry framewrks that cntribute t enhance fd security, reduce pverty and strengthen the livelihd f pr rural wmen and men Raise awareness n internatinal framewrks that prmte respnsible investment in agriculture Fster plicy dialgue n wmen s land rights. Participants This sessin is rganized during the 2nd Ordinary Sessin f the ECOWAS Parliament. Participants will include: - Natinal gvernment representatives - Members f Parliament frm the fllwing cmmittees: the Cmmittee n Agriculture, Envirnment, Water Resurces and Sustainable Develpment; the Cmmittee n Gender, Wmen Empwerment and Scial Prtectin; the Cmmittee n Legal and Judicial Affairs; and the Assciatin f ECOWAS Female Parliamentarians - Representatives f internatinal institutins - Civil sciety grups and farmers rganizatins - Researchers and academics Expected Outcmes We expect that the cnference will: 1. Deepen ur understanding f the imprtance f engendering agricultural land investment fr imprved land gvernance and fd security in West Africa 2. Generate knwledge and share research and prgramming n the genderdifferentiated implicatins f land-related investments 3. Strengthen the plicy dialgue n securing wmen land rights in Africa 3

4 PROGRAM 09:00 09:30 Registratin Opening sessin 08:30-09:00 Hn. S.E Mustapha Cissé L, President f ECOWAS Parliament Hn. Rger Dang Nkd, President f the Pan African Parliament Miss Francine Picard, IISD Hn. Aisha Jumai Alhassan, Minister f Wmen s Affairs (TBD) 09:00-09:15 Grup Pht Prmting gender equality in freign agricultural investments: Lessns frm vluntary sustainability standards Mderatr: President f the Cmmittee n Agriculture, ECOWAS Parliament 09:15-12:00 This sessin analyzes the gender-related cntent f the sustainability standards and the respnsible investment framewrks and assesses whether sustainability standards imprve gender equality. The sessin shares lessns learned frm these initiatives. Kathleen Sexsmith, IISD and Crnell University Rsemary Addic, Slidaridad West Africa 12:00-13:00 Lunch The gender impact f freign agricultural investments Mderatr: Elisabeth Atangana, President f CNOP-Camern, member f PAFO 13:00-14:15 This sessin examines the gender impact f freign investment in agriculture and prvides specific attentin t land investment dynamics in the West African regin. Ambra Gallina, FAO 14:15-14:30 Break Gender and inclusive business mdels Mderatr: President f the Assciatin f ECOWAS Female Parliamentarians 14:30-16:45 This sessin will present alternative business mdels t land investments and will highlight hw these inclusive business mdels and cntractual arrangement are addressing gender equality and wmen s empwerment. Martha Osri, FAO 16:45 End f day 1 4

5 09:00-09:30 Summary f day 1 09:30-10:45 Wmen and the decisin-making prcess Mderatr: President f the Cmmittee n Agriculture, ECOWAS Parliament This sessin will present the Gendered Tl fr Meaningful Cmmunity Engagement with LSLBI in Africa that is designed t help ensure that wmen in particular and their cmmunities in general are directly participating in decisin making regarding large-scale land-based investments in agriculture in their cmmunities. Eileen Wakesh, Oxfam Francine Picard, IISD 10:45-11:00 Break 10:45-12:00 Rle play The purpse f this rle-play sessin is t increase participants understanding f the gender tl by prviding the perspectives f different stakehlder grups invlved in agricultural investment. Jseph Desire Zebaze, ILC Charles Opy, Oxfam 12:00-13:30 Lunch 13:30-15:00 Gender Respnsive Natinal and Reginal Agriculture Investment Plans fr Meeting the Zer Hunger Challenge Mderatr Hn. Haidara Aichata, President f the Wmen Caucus, PAP Participants will cnsider the Gender Respnsive Natinal and Reginal Agriculture Investments Plans fr Meeting the Zer Hunger Challenge ECOWAS Cmmissin (TBD) 15:00-15:30 Break 15:30-17:00 Panel discussin: Scaling up wmen s land rights Mderatr : Eileen Wakesh, Oxfam and ROPPA (TBD) Several cuntries in Africa have been develping new laws t prmte gender equality and wmen s access t land. This is in additin t the at least 30% dcumentatin f land fr wmen campaign launched by the AU. Participants will discuss the interactin between custmary land law, initiatives t facilitate land access t wmen and hw these changes are implemented. 17:00 Clsing remarks frm FAO, IISD, OXFAM, ECOWAS End f meeting 5