By Shadia Nassar, Includovate Principal Researcher (Evaluation)
Welcome to our blog dedicated to shedding light on one of the most pressing issues of our time gender-based violence (GBV) in the agrifood system, which was the main topic discussed in the virtual webinar Breaking the Silence – Addressing sexual harassment and other forms of gender-based violence in agrifood systems, organised by FAO–UN Women on November 9, 2023.
The webinar was moderated by Katherine Wilson and led by the guest speakers discussions, Ada Valenzuela former director of the National Union of Guatemalan Women (UNAMG), Guatemala; Laxman Belbase, co-director of the Global MenEngage Alliance; and Lora Forsythe, lead of the Gender and Social Difference Programme and research group, Natural Resources Institute, UK.
Introduction: Creating dialogue space
It is vital to create a space for dialogue and awareness around GBV in agrifood systems, as it affects millions of individuals worldwide. In this blog, we shed light on some of the webinar discussions about the different facets of GBV and other forms of violence that persist in the agricultural and food industries.
The widespread occurrence of GBV, particularly in agricultural and rural areas, presents a significant obstacle to achieving the right to food for women and girls. GBV must be eliminated not only because it violates human rights but also because it impacts various aspects that contribute to greater gender inequalities. According to statistics, one out of every three women will be subjected to physical or sexual abuse over her lifetime.
Increased food insecurity can have devastating consequences on individuals, particularly women, who face a high risk of sexual and gender-based violence. When individuals lack access to adequate food and resources, they may resort to desperate measures to meet their basic needs, leading to situations where women engage in transactional sex or remain in abusive relationships to secure food. In addition, women comprise a significant proportion of the agricultural workforce in many regions, especially in developing countries. Women working in agriculture can encounter sexual harassment, assault, and exploitation while delivering produce to markets or accessing transportation services to commute to and from farms. This violates their right to safety and adversely affects their economic opportunities.
Why does GBV exist in food systems?
Food systems involve all aspects and relations around feeding and nourishing people (or lack thereof), including food production, processing, packaging, transporting, marketing, and consumption. Food systems also involve many complex relationships between people and other actors, such as private sector companies, governments, technology, and nature. Ontologies of power and critical feminist theory have a long history of ‘unpacking’ these relationships, but this has yet to reach more dominant food systems narratives.
The wealth of gender research relevant to food systems only has a limited focus on GBV. The scholarship that does exist is disconnected from broader forms of structural violence in food systems.
Breaking the Silence
To address these issues, humanitarian organisations and governments must prioritise the protection and empowerment of women in food assistance programmes. This includes developing strategies that ensure safe and secure distribution processes and implementing mechanisms to report and address incidents of harassment and violence effectively.
For example, the GBV AoR Helpdesk 2022 has developed a learning brief aimed at both food security and GBV actors to encourage each group to consider how the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) may be improved to support attention to GBV. Data collected as part of the IPC can lay the foundation for empowerment work within the food security sector that can reduce both food insecurity and GBV. GBV is both a driver and an outcome of food insecurity. In addition, these organisations should lead initiatives to promote economic opportunities and improve access to resources for women. These initiatives can help reduce women’s dependence on violent partners for survival.
The Discussion
Ada Valenzuela explained that offering capacity building and providing financial resources and assets to women can help decrease their dependence on men and enhance their decision-making power. Initiatives enabling women to lead more independent and secure lives can generate income, improve food security, and reduce their reliance on potentially abusive partners or family members.
Laxman Belbase added that community engagement is another strategy to mitigate GBV in agrifood systems. Engaging the community, especially men and boys, is integral to mitigating GBV and helps challenge societal norms and cultural attitudes that lead to GBV. Programmes should encourage all community members to become actively involved in preventing and addressing GBV. Promoting respectful and equal relationships and positive masculinity, men and boys can actively contribute to creating safe and inclusive agrifood systems. He noted that GBV is not a women’s issue but a societal problem, emphasising the importance of collective responsibility.
Lora Forsythe emphasised that research is needed to understand, tackle, and prevent GBV in agriculture systems. GBV in food systems is limited, which stresses the need to fill this gap. Literature has focused primarily on the relationship between food insecurity and intimate partner violence, where violence in multiple forms occurs because of women’s limited agency in the household and gender roles related to food provision and production (e.g., access to assets), transportation, marketing, and trade (e.g., use of income). She explained that a systematic analysis of the impact pathways and programme effectiveness would be advantageous, along with a connection to more macro-level dynamics.
Structural gender inequalities and vulnerabilities influence how men and women can engage in food systems. This, in turn, shapes the composition of three main components of food systems: value chains, the food environment, and consumer behaviour.
Moving Forward
Efforts can link with the current movement around gender transformative change towards creating more equitable, balanced, and sustainable food systems. While calls for food system transformation are increasing, the historic and existing use of power, violence, and control within food systems needs to be brought to light. This means that research, policy, and practice must extend beyond women’s empowerment and agency-focused approaches that, in practice, tend to over-emphasise individual-level change. A very inspiring video by FAO, launched in April 2023, summarises the structural inequalities in the agrifood systems. The status of women in agrifood systems. Broader societal norms, patterns of systemic abuse of power, and a lack of accountability in food systems may be undermined, and a more individual approach can also increase GBV in some cultures.
Reflections on the Webinar
As a principal researcher, addressing GBV in food systems requires a comprehensive understanding of its challenges: the identification of research gaps and the recognition of the importance of reliable data.
By understanding the forms, impacts, and underlying factors contributing to violence, policymakers, organisations, and communities can implement effective interventions to promote gender equality, protect the rights of women, and create safer food systems for all.
The gender transformative approach recognises the influence of social, cultural, and institutional factors on gender relations. It provides a framework for analysing these dynamics and their impact on programme outcomes. Incorporating this approach into impact evaluations allows for a deeper understanding of the contextual factors that contribute to or hinder gender equality, in addition to encouraging learning and reflective practice.
Conclusion: Transformative Approach
To tackle GBV in agrifood systems effectively, it is vital to promote further research, strengthen data collection methodologies, and invest in longitudinal studies that capture the experiences of and the consequences of GBV in various food system contexts. By doing so, policymakers, organisations, and communities can develop evidence-based interventions and policies that protect individuals and create safer and more equitable food systems. Furthermore, adopting a gender transformative approach is essential to effectively address gender inequalities, ensure accurate measurement of gender outcomes, analyse contextual factors, and promote learning and adaptive management, which leads to more equitable and lasting programme outcomes that contribute to gender equality.
