Women are often hardest hit by food insecurity, due to socially entrenched gender roles and norms. With an emphasis on access to resources both for production and consumption, we address how food security interventions empower women.
The BRIDGE approach calls for current policies to recognise the key role women play in enabling food security in the household and community and challenge the underlying inequalities and social norms that often constrain women’s rights, status and productivity. We want to see a more nuanced approach which goes beyond seeing women as "good for hunger alleviation".
Using effective communication of evidence-based information – particularly from the developing south – and through the facilitation of debates that involve southern and northern policy-makers, practitioners and researchers, this programme will enable better informed policy and practice on gender and food.
NEW! The Gender and Food Security Cutting Edge Pack is now published in English, Spanish and French. Please visit the BRIDGE publications page and read more.
Our programme of work
- In May 2014, we convened a highly engaging 48 hour online discussion, allowing experts to share and exchange ideas on the most current thinking and practice on the issue in order to inform and strengthen the cutting edge pack on Gender and Food Security.
- In April 2014, our Malawi country group led by Dalitso Baloyi, ran a gender responsive budgeting workshop. This was attended by key technical officers from the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Gender and other policy makers to explore how agricultural resources can be made more gender-sensitive.
- In 2011, we held an online discussion space for over 30 expert participant to engage in high-quality, thought -provoking debate, exploring the issues relating to gender and food security.
- An Eldis resource guide on Gender and food security was subsequently developed to highlight and inform these issues.
- Innovative approaches to gender and food security: (Insights, Issue 82) our policy brief from 2012 summarises and addresses the question of how development policy and practice can improve food security while supporting women’s empowerment.
