(Image courtesy of https://womendeliver.org/2016/climate-change-is-not-gender-neutral/)

Global food security is an urgent issue, complicated by climate change, which is quickly becoming one of the biggest threats to global food security. Recent studies show that 9 billion people will need to be fed by 2050, and the demand for food will be 60% greater than it is today. As if this was not a bleak enough outlook, as of this moment, 40% of the world’s landmass is arid, and rising temperatures will diminish crop yield. Current projections predict that the amount of food grown today will only feed half of the global population by 2050.  Such alarming statistics make clear that failure to prepare for the challenges posed by climate change could lead to malnutrition, hunger, and possibly social unrest.

It is also evident that the impacts of climate change impose gender-based inequalities in many parts of the world, especially in developing countries. Climate change disportionately affects women because of their vulnerability to extreme weather-related events such as droughts and floods. Women face more restrictions than men in their mobility to respond to climate shocks because they are less likely to receive emergency information in a timely manner and act accordingly. Also, women are often left out of the policy decision-making process concerning mitigation and adaptation strategies.  Other barriers for women, particularly, in the agricultural sector include access to land, rights, financial services, social capital, and technology. For example, recent studies show that of 141 countries, 103 of these countries have discriminatory laws that translate into loss of economic opportunities for women. Closing the gender gap would improve global food security as well as help with household’s adapt to climate change and lessen the shocks imposed by food insecurity.

Women’s presence in the agricultural sector is astounding as 20-50 percent of the agricultural labor force in developing countries is comprised of women, and yet, the disparities continue to exist. Women’s contributions in the agricultural sector cannot be understated as they play a major role in the three components of food security: availability, access, and utilization. Their contributions also extend into supporting agricultural development, such as soil and water conservation, afforestation and crop domestication as well as a vast knowledge in seed selection, vegetative propagation, and the reproduction of plants and animals. The Global Gender and Climate Alliance notes that more than three quarters of women in the least developed countries who are economically active report agriculture as their primary source of income, which further supports that the role of women in the agricultural sector is equally relevant.

Despite the barriers women face in the agricultural sector, there is fruitful discourse happening to empower women. In countries such as Uganda, women are starting to confront gender discrimination both on and off the fields. The presence of farmer field schools in Uganda is one example of women as agents of change in their communities as the knowledge of women farmers is shared and used to empower this historically marginalized population. There is growing hope that such strategies will improve global food security. Women who participate in these schools are more likely to adopt major technologies, such as improved crop varieties, livestock management and pest control techniques. The point to be taken here is that the investment in women in the agricultural sector translates into reaping benefits both in human and social capital. Households and communities have a better chance of thriving in the midst of climate change and continue to work towards building a more resilient future.