The CFS Plenary Session 52 hosted a forum to discuss ways to mobilize CFS actors for implementing the Voluntary Guidelines on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWGE), adopted in 2023. The forum also explored how this policy document can serve as a practical tool for policymaking at regional, national, and local levels.
Paula Gioia (Germany/Brazil, La Via Campesina) a member of the CSIPM Coordination Committee and co-coordinator of the CSIPM Women and Gender Diversities Working Group, delivered the following message during the forum.
Thanks to the secretariat for the commitment and action just one year after the adoption of the guidelines with this Uptake Forum and for giving the CSIPM the space to share our views and commitments.
These Gender Guidelines were celebrated by this plenary as a groundbreaking, long overdue, transformative achievement for the CFS. However, on the ground, we have not yet seen significant progress in addressing and overcoming the root causes of gender inequalities that affect women, girls, queer, trans and non-binary gender, lesbian, intersex, gay and bisexual people’s right to food and nutrition.
The current context of multiple and intersecting crises, exacerbated by brutal occupations, wars and conflicts in Palestine, Lebanon, Sudan, Yemen, Ukraine among others, urgently demands that we apply a gender justice lens at the center of our political agenda, deliberation and action. The use and application of the CFS Gender Guidelines need to be immediately operationalized. Each of us, as a crucial component of this multi-actor UN committee, has a specific role to play, at local, national, regional and global level with our specific skills, competencies and relationships to ensure implementation.
Although the complexity of the challenges we need to address today are overwhelming, the recipe to make these Guidelines come alive and not collect dust on the CFS’ shelf is simple and clear:
- political will and action, both from governments and RBAs;
- joint efforts with a variety of actors;
- substantial financial means.
Leaving these Guidelines on the shelf would mean to continue to deny our existence, and one of the most cruel ways to practice institutional and structural patriarchy. We don’t want that, right?
The CSIPM women and gender diversities WG is an inclusive and caring space. We have been growing and learning as a group long before the CFS gender workstream started. We have been building deep connections between women and gender diverse persons of many geographical and racial backgrounds, diverse identities as peasants, Indigenous Peoples, with functional diversity, younger and elder, feminists, carers, survivors, social movement leaders, environmental defenders… This is beautiful, strong, and it matters a lot!
We went through the negotiations experiencing a backlash midway. Therefore, we consider the Guidelines only as the starting point for collectively moving forward. We know our active participation made a tremendous difference. From now on, let’s agree that no one will take any steps backwards!
The CSIPM is ready and committed to embed the Guidelines in our territories! We are already developing toolkits, initiating collaboration with the FAO Gender team, preparing regional workshops, and developing methodologies for a popular manual that speaks to the localised challenges of our constituencies and addresses the shortcomings of the Guidelines. We are doing this with all our energies, and the marginal financial support of our under-funded organisations.
We are now expecting meaningful commitment from member states and international organisations. We also have high expectations that these guidelines break institutional silos, using the opportunity of the International Year of the Women Farmer to reach the CSW, the UNFCCC, CBD, WHO and other platforms. The initiative of Colombia, calling for an ICARRD+20 is another opportunity for all of us to connect the uptake of the Gender Guidelines with the further uptake of the Tenure Guidelines, the RtF Guidelines and other CFS products. Always putting rights holders at the centre, we hope to articulate strategic agendas: climate change, racial justice, gender justice and Control over corporate capture.
Finally, let’s not forget to implement the guidelines within the CFS itself! Upcoming processes must build on them and further advance gender rights, including within the CFS.
This is an open call for you to support and build synergies with our autonomous processes to popularize the Gender equality guidelines.
We Exist! And we demand gender equality and equity to realise the Right to Food for all.