Her Crucial Role
Mother brings her child to work on the UPFORD garden
My research indicates that in order for UPFORD (and other projects based on similar participatory models) to make a sustainable, positive impact on the lives of Nnindey residents, its programs mus specifically address the situation for women. As Micheline Ravololonarisoa, formerly with UN women, stated in a panel discussion on food security I attended in London last spring, policy frameworks that ignore the role of women in agriculture are doomed to fail. Women play a key role in attaining food security for the household. They produce 70 percent of food crops in developing countries and account for 80 to 90 percent of food processing, storage and transport. For these reasons, Ms. Ravololonarisoa dubs women the "principle agents of food security." [1] One of the main goals of the agricultural sector of the UPFORD program was to improve food security in at least 800 households. During the course of my conversations in Nnindye, it was made quite clear that most families and individuals do not have enough food to eat. Many of them are included in the 1 billion hungry and malnourished people that live in the world today. According to the the World Food Programme,
"Women, and the young girls who will grow up to become women, are the secret weapon in fighting hunger."[2]
After reflecting on my experience and interviews in Uganda, I have every reason to believe that the women in Nnindye engage in similar levels of caretaking and food related activities as the above statistics indicate for women in developing countries as a whole. Therefore, they also hold the key to lifting the people of Nnindye out of their situations of extreme poverty and food insecurity. As one female landowner I interviewed stated, "We are the mothers of the world." Despite the crucial role they play in improving the lives of their family and community members, the barriers and inequalities so prevalent for women in patriarchal societies often prevent them from doing so.
[1] Ravololonarisoa, Micheline. "The Role of Women in Agriculture." Food We Want - Sustainable, Local, Fair. IIED Headquarters, 80-86 Gray's Inn Road, London. 29 Mar. 2012. Panel Discussion.
[2] "Empower Women on the Frontlines of Hunger." Fighting Hunger Worldwide. World Food Programme, 2012. Web. 15 Oct. 2012.
"Women, and the young girls who will grow up to become women, are the secret weapon in fighting hunger."[2]
After reflecting on my experience and interviews in Uganda, I have every reason to believe that the women in Nnindye engage in similar levels of caretaking and food related activities as the above statistics indicate for women in developing countries as a whole. Therefore, they also hold the key to lifting the people of Nnindye out of their situations of extreme poverty and food insecurity. As one female landowner I interviewed stated, "We are the mothers of the world." Despite the crucial role they play in improving the lives of their family and community members, the barriers and inequalities so prevalent for women in patriarchal societies often prevent them from doing so.
[1] Ravololonarisoa, Micheline. "The Role of Women in Agriculture." Food We Want - Sustainable, Local, Fair. IIED Headquarters, 80-86 Gray's Inn Road, London. 29 Mar. 2012. Panel Discussion.
[2] "Empower Women on the Frontlines of Hunger." Fighting Hunger Worldwide. World Food Programme, 2012. Web. 15 Oct. 2012.