Book Description

Women play an important role in food systems as producers, wage-workers, processors, traders, entrepreneurs, and consumers. It is therefore essential that the food systems transformation agenda takes full cognizance of their needs and priorities, so that they can contribute and benefit equally from interventions. In ECOWAS countries, women still lag behind in accessing land, finance, technologies, services and markets. Their voices are not equally heard in the elaboration of policies, programmes and investment plans in the agrifood sector as their representation in leadership positions remains lower than that for men. Walking the talk in Rwanda is the result of ongoing partnership with ECOWAS Network of Parliamentarians on Gender Equality, Investments in Agriculture and Food Security, and its Advisory Group made of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), Oxfam and Women in Law and Development in Africa (WILDAF) to advance gender equality in efforts to accelerate progress towards zero hunger. This report summaries the Learning Exchange that gave the ECOWAS Parliamentarians an exposure to the comprehensive Rwanda Model for gender equality and women’s empowerment in terms of governance, accountability, vision, and actions. it includes comments and reactions from some of the Parliamentarians.