International Women's Day
The day is an official holiday in Afghanistan, Angola, Armenia,Azerbaijan,Belarus, Burkina Faso,Cambodia, China (for women only), Cuba,Georgia,Guinea-Bissau, Eritrea,[Kazakhstan,Kyrgyzstan
In some countries, such as Cameroon,Croatia, Romania,Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina,Serbia,Bulgaria and Chile, the day is not a public holiday, but is widely observed nonetheless. On this day it is customary for men to give the women in their lives – friends, mothers, wives, girlfriends, daughters, colleagues, etc. – flowers and small gifts. In some countries (such as Bulgaria and Romania) it is also observed as an equivalent of Mother's Day, where children also give small presents to their mothers and grandmothers.
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Women are often victims of hunger. They also have a crucial role to play in defeating hunger. As mothers, farmers, teachers and entrepreneurs, they hold the key to building a future free of malnutrition. Here are ten reasons why empowering women is such an important part of WFP’s work.
Women and climate change
![Women in Dola, Nepal, construct a pond to irrigate their vegetable gardens. Photo: Tom Pietrasik.]()
Women make up 20 million of the 26 million people estimated to have been displaced by climate change.
Women are often hit much harder during disasters. In the Bangladesh cyclone of 1991, the number of women who died was five times greater than the number of men. They had not been taught how to swim and received no prior warning of the event. In the tsunami that hit Sri Lanka in December 2004, many more women perished than men because they did not know how to swim or climb trees.
In southwest Bangladesh, the salinisation of drinking water has meant that many women are forced to walk long distances – up to 10km every day – just to fetch water.
Droughts in the Philippines are making it increasingly difficult for women to search for food, fuel and water, all of which were previously accessible in towns. In rural areas, women and girls are being forced to walk for hours to fetch water. This makes them more prone to accidents and acts of violence.
After a food crisis, women and children often give up their meals for the men, increasing their susceptibility to malnutrition.
Increasingly unpredictable and extreme weather is affecting harvests and making it harder for the poorest people, especially women, to provide food for their families. In many developing countries, rural women produce up to 60% of household food, and are major producers of the world’s staple crops (such as rice, wheat, maize), which provide up to 90% of the rural poors' food intake.
Women and food
![Oxfam is helping communities establish vegetable gardens in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea. Photo: Jerry Galea]()
Women produce the majority of the world’s food but do so under difficult conditions.
On Sub Saharan African farms, 75% of the workforce are women, they produce 80% of the household food but they only own 1% of the land and are rarely included in the decision making (either on agricultural production or at a household level).
Research has shown that farms run by educated women show increases in yields of up to 22%. Yet two-thirds of the children denied school are girls and 64% of the world’s illiterate adults are women.
Women worldwide rarely own land: in Sub-Saharan Africa women own 1% of the land, in Brazil they own 11% and in Peru 13%. Lack of land rights means women are frequently the ones left dispossessed and uncompensated. When women do own land, their holdings are smaller than their male counterparts – between 20% and 35% on average worldwide. Such land is often marginal and thus of low productivity.
Women face discrimination in terms of access to credit, tools, training and a variety of other agricultural services. Available figures show that only 5% of extension services have been addressed to rural women, while no more than 15% of the world's extension agents are women. In Africa women receive 7% of extension services and 10% of the credit to small-scale farmers. When women do obtain credit the average value is 42% of what is granted to male farmers, and often a much higher percentage of collateral is required (collateral that women rarely have, see earlier point).
Women and increasing food prices
Women and children living in poverty will be hardest hit if global food prices continue to rise. In many countries it is women who are responsible for feeding their families and, when times are hard, it is women who go without to allow their husbands and children to eat.
Governments must act now and act together to help those already facing the crisis, to avert another global crisis and to help end hunger for the almost one billion people who go to bed hungry every day.
Women make up 20 million of the 26 million people estimated to have been displaced by climate change.
Women are often hit much harder during disasters. In the Bangladesh cyclone of 1991, the number of women who died was five times greater than the number of men. They had not been taught how to swim and received no prior warning of the event. In the tsunami that hit Sri Lanka in December 2004, many more women perished than men because they did not know how to swim or climb trees.
In southwest Bangladesh, the salinisation of drinking water has meant that many women are forced to walk long distances – up to 10km every day – just to fetch water.
Droughts in the Philippines are making it increasingly difficult for women to search for food, fuel and water, all of which were previously accessible in towns. In rural areas, women and girls are being forced to walk for hours to fetch water. This makes them more prone to accidents and acts of violence.
After a food crisis, women and children often give up their meals for the men, increasing their susceptibility to malnutrition.
Increasingly unpredictable and extreme weather is affecting harvests and making it harder for the poorest people, especially women, to provide food for their families. In many developing countries, rural women produce up to 60% of household food, and are major producers of the world’s staple crops (such as rice, wheat, maize), which provide up to 90% of the rural poors' food intake.
Women produce the majority of the world’s food but do so under difficult conditions.
On Sub Saharan African farms, 75% of the workforce are women, they produce 80% of the household food but they only own 1% of the land and are rarely included in the decision making (either on agricultural production or at a household level).
Research has shown that farms run by educated women show increases in yields of up to 22%. Yet two-thirds of the children denied school are girls and 64% of the world’s illiterate adults are women.
Women worldwide rarely own land: in Sub-Saharan Africa women own 1% of the land, in Brazil they own 11% and in Peru 13%. Lack of land rights means women are frequently the ones left dispossessed and uncompensated. When women do own land, their holdings are smaller than their male counterparts – between 20% and 35% on average worldwide. Such land is often marginal and thus of low productivity.
Women face discrimination in terms of access to credit, tools, training and a variety of other agricultural services. Available figures show that only 5% of extension services have been addressed to rural women, while no more than 15% of the world's extension agents are women. In Africa women receive 7% of extension services and 10% of the credit to small-scale farmers. When women do obtain credit the average value is 42% of what is granted to male farmers, and often a much higher percentage of collateral is required (collateral that women rarely have, see earlier point).
Governments must act now and act together to help those already facing the crisis, to avert another global crisis and to help end hunger for the almost one billion people who go to bed hungry every day.
Women make up 20 million of the 26 million people estimated to have been displaced by climate change.
Women are often hit much harder during disasters. In the Bangladesh cyclone of 1991, the number of women who died was five times greater than the number of men. They had not been taught how to swim and received no prior warning of the event. In the tsunami that hit Sri Lanka in December 2004, many more women perished than men because they did not know how to swim or climb trees.
In southwest Bangladesh, the salinisation of drinking water has meant that many women are forced to walk long distances – up to 10km every day – just to fetch water.
Droughts in the Philippines are making it increasingly difficult for women to search for food, fuel and water, all of which were previously accessible in towns. In rural areas, women and girls are being forced to walk for hours to fetch water. This makes them more prone to accidents and acts of violence.
After a food crisis, women and children often give up their meals for the men, increasing their susceptibility to malnutrition.
Increasingly unpredictable and extreme weather is affecting harvests and making it harder for the poorest people, especially women, to provide food for their families. In many developing countries, rural women produce up to 60% of household food, and are major producers of the world’s staple crops (such as rice, wheat, maize), which provide up to 90% of the rural poors' food intake.
Women produce the majority of the world’s food but do so under difficult conditions.
On Sub Saharan African farms, 75% of the workforce are women, they produce 80% of the household food but they only own 1% of the land and are rarely included in the decision making (either on agricultural production or at a household level).
Research has shown that farms run by educated women show increases in yields of up to 22%. Yet two-thirds of the children denied school are girls and 64% of the world’s illiterate adults are women.
Women worldwide rarely own land: in Sub-Saharan Africa women own 1% of the land, in Brazil they own 11% and in Peru 13%. Lack of land rights means women are frequently the ones left dispossessed and uncompensated. When women do own land, their holdings are smaller than their male counterparts – between 20% and 35% on average worldwide. Such land is often marginal and thus of low productivity.
Women face discrimination in terms of access to credit, tools, training and a variety of other agricultural services. Available figures show that only 5% of extension services have been addressed to rural women, while no more than 15% of the world's extension agents are women. In Africa women receive 7% of extension services and 10% of the credit to small-scale farmers. When women do obtain credit the average value is 42% of what is granted to male farmers, and often a much higher percentage of collateral is required (collateral that women rarely have, see earlier point).
Governments must act now and act together to help those already facing the crisis, to avert another global crisis and to help end hunger for the almost one billion people who go to bed hungry every day.
The day is an official holiday in Afghanistan, Angola, Armenia,Azerbaijan,Belarus, Burkina Faso,Cambodia, China (for women only), Cuba,Georgia,Guinea-Bissau, Eritrea,[Kazakhstan,Kyrgyzstan
In some countries, such as Cameroon,Croatia, Romania,Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina,Serbia,Bulgaria and Chile, the day is not a public holiday, but is widely observed nonetheless. On this day it is customary for men to give the women in their lives – friends, mothers, wives, girlfriends, daughters, colleagues, etc. – flowers and small gifts. In some countries (such as Bulgaria and Romania) it is also observed as an equivalent of Mother's Day, where children also give small presents to their mothers and grandmothers.
Women and Hunger: 10 Facts
Women are often victims of hunger. They also have a crucial role to play in defeating hunger. As mothers, farmers, teachers and entrepreneurs, they hold the key to building a future free of malnutrition. Here are ten reasons why empowering women is such an important part of WFP’s work.
- In developing countries, 79 % of economically active women spend their working hours producing food through agriculture. Women are 43% of the farming work force.
- Yields for women farmers are 20-30 percent lower than for men. This is because women have less access to improved seeds, fertilizers and equipment.
- Giving women farmers more resources could bring the number of hungry people in the world down by 100 - 150 million people.
- Surveys in a wide range of countries have shown that 85 - 90 percent of the time spent on household food preparation is women’s time.
- In some countries, tradition dictates that women eat last, after all the male members and children have been fed.
- When a crisis hits, women are generally the first to sacrifice their food consumption, in order to protect the food consumption of their families.
- Malnourished mothers are more likely to give birth to underweight babies. Underweight babies are 20 percent more likely to die before the age of five.
- Around half of all pregnant women in developing countries are anaemic. This causes around 110,000 deaths during child birth each year.
- Research confirms that, in the hands of women, an increase in family income improves children’s health and nutrition.
- Education is key. One study showed that women's education contributed 43% of the reduction in child malnutrition over time, while food availability accounted for 26%.
Women and climate change
Women make up 20 million of the 26 million people estimated to have been displaced by climate change.
Women are often hit much harder during disasters. In the Bangladesh cyclone of 1991, the number of women who died was five times greater than the number of men. They had not been taught how to swim and received no prior warning of the event. In the tsunami that hit Sri Lanka in December 2004, many more women perished than men because they did not know how to swim or climb trees.
In southwest Bangladesh, the salinisation of drinking water has meant that many women are forced to walk long distances – up to 10km every day – just to fetch water.
Droughts in the Philippines are making it increasingly difficult for women to search for food, fuel and water, all of which were previously accessible in towns. In rural areas, women and girls are being forced to walk for hours to fetch water. This makes them more prone to accidents and acts of violence.
After a food crisis, women and children often give up their meals for the men, increasing their susceptibility to malnutrition.
Increasingly unpredictable and extreme weather is affecting harvests and making it harder for the poorest people, especially women, to provide food for their families. In many developing countries, rural women produce up to 60% of household food, and are major producers of the world’s staple crops (such as rice, wheat, maize), which provide up to 90% of the rural poors' food intake.
Women and food
Women produce the majority of the world’s food but do so under difficult conditions.
On Sub Saharan African farms, 75% of the workforce are women, they produce 80% of the household food but they only own 1% of the land and are rarely included in the decision making (either on agricultural production or at a household level).
Research has shown that farms run by educated women show increases in yields of up to 22%. Yet two-thirds of the children denied school are girls and 64% of the world’s illiterate adults are women.
Women worldwide rarely own land: in Sub-Saharan Africa women own 1% of the land, in Brazil they own 11% and in Peru 13%. Lack of land rights means women are frequently the ones left dispossessed and uncompensated. When women do own land, their holdings are smaller than their male counterparts – between 20% and 35% on average worldwide. Such land is often marginal and thus of low productivity.
Women face discrimination in terms of access to credit, tools, training and a variety of other agricultural services. Available figures show that only 5% of extension services have been addressed to rural women, while no more than 15% of the world's extension agents are women. In Africa women receive 7% of extension services and 10% of the credit to small-scale farmers. When women do obtain credit the average value is 42% of what is granted to male farmers, and often a much higher percentage of collateral is required (collateral that women rarely have, see earlier point).
Women and increasing food prices
Women and children living in poverty will be hardest hit if global food prices continue to rise. In many countries it is women who are responsible for feeding their families and, when times are hard, it is women who go without to allow their husbands and children to eat.
Governments must act now and act together to help those already facing the crisis, to avert another global crisis and to help end hunger for the almost one billion people who go to bed hungry every day.
Women in the developing world: facts and stats
Women and climate change
|
| Women in Dola, Nepal, construct a pond to irrigate their vegetable gardens. With this pond and drought-resistant seeds, they now have a sustainable food supply. |
Women are often hit much harder during disasters. In the Bangladesh cyclone of 1991, the number of women who died was five times greater than the number of men. They had not been taught how to swim and received no prior warning of the event. In the tsunami that hit Sri Lanka in December 2004, many more women perished than men because they did not know how to swim or climb trees.
In southwest Bangladesh, the salinisation of drinking water has meant that many women are forced to walk long distances – up to 10km every day – just to fetch water.
Droughts in the Philippines are making it increasingly difficult for women to search for food, fuel and water, all of which were previously accessible in towns. In rural areas, women and girls are being forced to walk for hours to fetch water. This makes them more prone to accidents and acts of violence.
After a food crisis, women and children often give up their meals for the men, increasing their susceptibility to malnutrition.
Increasingly unpredictable and extreme weather is affecting harvests and making it harder for the poorest people, especially women, to provide food for their families. In many developing countries, rural women produce up to 60% of household food, and are major producers of the world’s staple crops (such as rice, wheat, maize), which provide up to 90% of the rural poors' food intake.
Women and food
|
| Oxfam is helping communities establish vegetable gardens in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea. |
On Sub Saharan African farms, 75% of the workforce are women, they produce 80% of the household food but they only own 1% of the land and are rarely included in the decision making (either on agricultural production or at a household level).
Research has shown that farms run by educated women show increases in yields of up to 22%. Yet two-thirds of the children denied school are girls and 64% of the world’s illiterate adults are women.
Women worldwide rarely own land: in Sub-Saharan Africa women own 1% of the land, in Brazil they own 11% and in Peru 13%. Lack of land rights means women are frequently the ones left dispossessed and uncompensated. When women do own land, their holdings are smaller than their male counterparts – between 20% and 35% on average worldwide. Such land is often marginal and thus of low productivity.
Women face discrimination in terms of access to credit, tools, training and a variety of other agricultural services. Available figures show that only 5% of extension services have been addressed to rural women, while no more than 15% of the world's extension agents are women. In Africa women receive 7% of extension services and 10% of the credit to small-scale farmers. When women do obtain credit the average value is 42% of what is granted to male farmers, and often a much higher percentage of collateral is required (collateral that women rarely have, see earlier point).
Women and increasing food prices
Women and children living in poverty will be hardest hit if global food prices continue to rise. In many countries it is women who are responsible for feeding their families and, when times are hard, it is women who go without to allow their husbands and children to eat.Governments must act now and act together to help those already facing the crisis, to avert another global crisis and to help end hunger for the almost one billion people who go to bed hungry every day.
Women in the developing world: facts and stats
Women and climate change
|
| Women in Dola, Nepal, construct a pond to irrigate their vegetable gardens. With this pond and drought-resistant seeds, they now have a sustainable food supply. |
Women are often hit much harder during disasters. In the Bangladesh cyclone of 1991, the number of women who died was five times greater than the number of men. They had not been taught how to swim and received no prior warning of the event. In the tsunami that hit Sri Lanka in December 2004, many more women perished than men because they did not know how to swim or climb trees.
In southwest Bangladesh, the salinisation of drinking water has meant that many women are forced to walk long distances – up to 10km every day – just to fetch water.
Droughts in the Philippines are making it increasingly difficult for women to search for food, fuel and water, all of which were previously accessible in towns. In rural areas, women and girls are being forced to walk for hours to fetch water. This makes them more prone to accidents and acts of violence.
After a food crisis, women and children often give up their meals for the men, increasing their susceptibility to malnutrition.
Increasingly unpredictable and extreme weather is affecting harvests and making it harder for the poorest people, especially women, to provide food for their families. In many developing countries, rural women produce up to 60% of household food, and are major producers of the world’s staple crops (such as rice, wheat, maize), which provide up to 90% of the rural poors' food intake.
Women and food
|
| Oxfam is helping communities establish vegetable gardens in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea. |
On Sub Saharan African farms, 75% of the workforce are women, they produce 80% of the household food but they only own 1% of the land and are rarely included in the decision making (either on agricultural production or at a household level).
Research has shown that farms run by educated women show increases in yields of up to 22%. Yet two-thirds of the children denied school are girls and 64% of the world’s illiterate adults are women.
Women worldwide rarely own land: in Sub-Saharan Africa women own 1% of the land, in Brazil they own 11% and in Peru 13%. Lack of land rights means women are frequently the ones left dispossessed and uncompensated. When women do own land, their holdings are smaller than their male counterparts – between 20% and 35% on average worldwide. Such land is often marginal and thus of low productivity.
Women face discrimination in terms of access to credit, tools, training and a variety of other agricultural services. Available figures show that only 5% of extension services have been addressed to rural women, while no more than 15% of the world's extension agents are women. In Africa women receive 7% of extension services and 10% of the credit to small-scale farmers. When women do obtain credit the average value is 42% of what is granted to male farmers, and often a much higher percentage of collateral is required (collateral that women rarely have, see earlier point).
Women and increasing food prices
Women and children living in poverty will be hardest hit if global food prices continue to rise. In many countries it is women who are responsible for feeding their families and, when times are hard, it is women who go without to allow their husbands and children to eat.Governments must act now and act together to help those already facing the crisis, to avert another global crisis and to help end hunger for the almost one billion people who go to bed hungry every day.