Rural Women and Science:Rural Women and Science:Enabling and Excluding Enabling and Excluding

FactorsFactors

Marcela Villarreal, Ph.D.Marcela Villarreal, Ph.D.Director Gender, Equity and Rural Director Gender, Equity and Rural

Development DivisionDevelopment DivisionFAOFAO

Women in ScienceWomen in ScienceBibliotheca Alexandrina, October 23-24, 2007Bibliotheca Alexandrina, October 23-24, 2007

Focus on rural areas essential for effective science Societies advance at the speed of the

slowest Source of knowledge (gendered)

75 percent of the world poor live in rural areas

Women: Over-represented among the poor

Making Science benefit PeopleMaking Science benefit People

EducationEducation

HealthHealth

PolicyPolicy Mechanisms of exclusionMechanisms of exclusion

Top Five Causes of Death:Top Five Causes of Death: U.S.A U.S.A

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

HeartDisease

Cancer Stroke Respiratoryinfections

Accidents

Top Five Causes of Death: Top Five Causes of Death: South & East AsiaSouth & East Asia

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

16%

Heart disease Respiratoryinfections

Stroke Perinatalconditions

Tuberculosis

Top Five Causes of Death:Top Five Causes of Death: Africa Africa

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

HIV/AIDS Malaria Respiratoryinfections

Diarrhealdiseases

Perinatalconditions

Days of work lost to disease, Days of work lost to disease, 20052005

-

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

Americas Africa

Communicable

Noncommunicable

Thousands

Source: calculated from WHO 2005

HIV and AIDSHIV and AIDS

Total: 39.4 (35.9 – 44.3) million

Western & Central Europe

610 000610 000[480 000 – 760 000][480 000 – 760 000]

North Africa & Middle East540 000540 000

[230 000 – 1.5 million][230 000 – 1.5 million]

Sub-Saharan Africa25.4 million25.4 million

[23.4 – 28.4 million][23.4 – 28.4 million]

Eastern Europe & Central Asia1.4 million 1.4 million

[920 000 – 2.1 million][920 000 – 2.1 million]

South & South-East Asia7.1 million7.1 million[4.4 – 10.6 million][4.4 – 10.6 million]

Oceania35 00035 000

[25 000 – 48 000][25 000 – 48 000]

North America1.0 million1.0 million

[540 000 – 1.6 million][540 000 – 1.6 million]Caribbean440 000440 000

[270 000 – 780 000][270 000 – 780 000]

Latin America1.7 million1.7 million

[1.3 – 2.2 million][1.3 – 2.2 million]

East Asia1.1 million1.1 million

[560 000 – 1.8 million][560 000 – 1.8 million]

Source: UNAIDS

Adults and children estimated to be living with HIV as of end 2004

HIV prevalence in adults HIV prevalence in adults in sub-Saharan Africa, 1986-2001in sub-Saharan Africa, 1986-2001

20 – 39%

10 – 20%

5 – 10%

1 – 5%

0 – 1%

trend data unavailable

outside region

1986 1991

1996 2001

Source: UNAIDS/WHO 2002

HIV/AIDS affects Food SecurityHIV/AIDS affects Food Security

Loss of agricultural labourLoss of agricultural labourImpoverishment of householdImpoverishment of householdLoss of knowledge and skillsLoss of knowledge and skills Children taken out of schoolChildren taken out of school Institutions Institutions Plant diversity, genetic resourcesPlant diversity, genetic resourcesSocial safety nets underminedSocial safety nets undermined

Impacts of HIV/AIDSImpacts of HIV/AIDS

Decline in land cultivated and range of cropsDecline in land cultivated and range of cropsIncrease in cost of hired labourIncrease in cost of hired labourDeflated land pricesDeflated land pricesShift to less labour-intensive cropsShift to less labour-intensive cropsDecreased agricultural productivity Decreased agricultural productivity Increased malnutritionIncreased malnutritionIncreased food insecurityIncreased food insecurityRural development underminedRural development undermined

Gender and land in sub-Saharan AfricaGender and land in sub-Saharan Africa

Land rights governed by social institutions Land rights governed by social institutions such as marriagesuch as marriage Levirat: protects male rights to landLevirat: protects male rights to land Type of marriageType of marriage

Male privileges on landMale privileges on landCustomary prevails over formalCustomary prevails over formal

HIV/AIDS impacts on landHIV/AIDS impacts on land

loss of land rights including inheritance loss of land rights including inheritance rightsrightsshifts in tenureshifts in tenuredistress sales and shifts in ownershipdistress sales and shifts in ownershipchanges in land use:changes in land use: significant decreases in amounts of land significant decreases in amounts of land

cultivated cultivated shifts in the types of crops cultivated shifts in the types of crops cultivated

Zambia: Household Membership in Zambia: Household Membership in CooperativesCooperatives

0

10

20

30

40

50

FHHPLWA

FHHOrphans

MHHPLWA

MHHOrphans

Normal

Source: FAO, 2003

Zambia: Average Land Size by Zambia: Average Land Size by Household TypeHousehold Type

0

1

2

3

4

5

FHHPLWA

FHHOrphans

MHHPLWA

MHHOrphans

Normal

Hectares

Source: FAO, 2003

-60-40-20

020406080

100120140

banana

cassava

milletmaize

affected

non-affected

Uganda: % change in land cultivated, selected cash and food crops (1996-2002)

%

(Source: FAO, 2003)

Food Cash

What to do?What to do?

Understand mechanisms of exclusionUnderstand mechanisms of exclusionAddress them in policy makingAddress them in policy makingLink agricultural research with adoption Link agricultural research with adoption taking into account the specificities of the taking into account the specificities of the population: rural, gender, indigenouspopulation: rural, gender, indigenousSafeguard local and indigenous Safeguard local and indigenous knowledgeknowledgeFormulate specific policy to ensure that Formulate specific policy to ensure that rural women will benefit (need data)rural women will benefit (need data)

Thank youThank you

Agriculture Sector strategy Agriculture Sector strategy

REDUCTION OF VULNERABILITY, UNDERLYING CAUSESREDUCTION OF VULNERABILITY, UNDERLYING CAUSES

Labour saving technologies and practicesLabour saving technologies and practicesLow input agriculture; new varietiesLow input agriculture; new varietiesKnowledge systems (orphans)Knowledge systems (orphans)

Gender issues in particular access to landGender issues in particular access to land Nutrition and food interventionsNutrition and food interventions

Innovative micro-finance activities in the rural sector Innovative micro-finance activities in the rural sector Capacity building of relevant local and national Capacity building of relevant local and national institutions institutions (including CSOs and MoA)(including CSOs and MoA)

What to do?What to do?Research gender, land and HIV/AIDS in different Research gender, land and HIV/AIDS in different contextscontextsPromote the formulation, adoption and enforcement of Promote the formulation, adoption and enforcement of statutory law that ensures gender equality in the access statutory law that ensures gender equality in the access to, ownership of and right to inherit land to, ownership of and right to inherit land Ensure equal rights regardless of the type of marriage Ensure equal rights regardless of the type of marriage Improve public policy to reach more effectively the most Improve public policy to reach more effectively the most vulnerable vulnerable Promote the legal empowerment of rural women and Promote the legal empowerment of rural women and orphansorphansPromote community based approaches that create or Promote community based approaches that create or reinforce self-esteem and other life skills reinforce self-esteem and other life skills