Launch of Framework for Gender-Responsive Livestock Development

The framework was jointly developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Bank to support the planning and implementation of gender-responsive policies, projects and investments and orient research related to the development of the livestock sector.  

It aims at contributing to gender equality and women’s empowerment through livestock development, and also creating inclusive, sustainable and resilient livelihoods for everyone.  The framework recognizes that empowered women boost livestock development, while livestock development can also support gender equality and women’s empowerment. The guiding principle of the framework is ensuring inclusivity and gender equality in and through investment in livestock.  

The four partners jointly developed the framework in response of the major gender gaps that still exist in agrifood systems, recognizing that women’s roles are often marginalized and they have worse working conditions than men and thus are more vulnerable.  Women have less access to land, inputs, services, finance and digital technology; and discriminatory social norms and rules affect women and girls and are slow to change.

In the livestock sector, different gaps still exist in livestock ownership between female- and male-headed households across livestock species. Women are often disadvantaged in the ownership of large ruminants, while a smaller gap exist for small ruminants and poultry. Significant gender gaps exist in the income generated from livestock sales, depending on the livestock species, the product and the commercialization level.  Intensification and increase in commercial livestock production may change the traditional distribution of rights and responsibilities and women may lose control over the livestock species and products they controlled.

In the report on The Status of Women in Agrifood Systems FAO estimates that overcoming the gender gap in farm productivity and the wage gap in agrifood-system employment could reduce the number of food insecure people by 45 million. In this context, the new Framework for gender-responsive livestock development can really help countries and livestock specialists in planning and implementing gender-responsive policies and investments for the development of the livestock sector. The framework provides a list of recommendations for supporting gender-responsive research and livestock-related development projects and for creating an enabling environment towards gender-responsive livestock development, based on innovative approaches and relevant good practices and lessons learned.

The Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) recognizes that air pollution and climate change are not gender neutral. Through its Gender Strategy, the CCAC is supporting the development of gender-responsive projects, policies, and programmes to advance gender equality and the empowerment of women. Contact dana.crawhall-duk [at] un.org for additional information.