Report of the 2008 global meeting - IFAD

“IFAD is not making policy
recommendations; it is leaving
autonomy to the organizations and
empowering farmer organizations.
We feel that it is very important to
support IFAD in its approach.”
Pedro Peretti, Secretary, COPROFAM
Although not among the principles of the Farmers’ Forum,
participants expressed appreciation of IFAD’s ability to support FOs in
an impartial way, respecting their autonomy, diversity and
independence. IFAD’s efforts to empower FOs without entering
discussions on political issues were also recognized. There was a
consensus among participants on the importance of IFAD maintaining
this approach, and continuing to engage not only in international
cooperation in a broad sense but also in partnerships with
organizations that are active at field level.
Pedro Peretti, COPROFAM and Eduardo
Buzzi, FAA, Argentina
“IFAD is not making policy recommendations; it is leaving autonomy
to the organizations and empowering farmer organizations […] We feel
that it is very important to support IFAD in its approach.”
Pedro Peretti, Secretary, COPROFAM
2.5 Gender
Women farmers are still few among the leadership of national and international FOs.
How could the partnership between IFAD and FOs contribute to the promotion of
women’s leadership in rural organizations?
A strong call for increased involvement of women in the context of IFAD-FO
partnership was made unanimously by Forum participants. Women’s contribution in
agriculture and rural development was stressed, both quantitatively and qualitatively. In
spite of this, they are usually poorer than their male counterparts and are strongly
underrepresented at all levels of FOs. For this reason, participants called for targeted
support that would enable women to strengthen their position within
“I note that you said that the
their organizations and in the Farmers’ Forum context. They also called
gender issue is of concern to all; for IFAD to promote activities to promote women’s economic
however, you need to be careful. independence, coupled with specific capacity-building activities, as a
People fall into the temptation of means to increase their confidence and self esteem.
believing that an issue is settled
once everyone agrees that it is an “I note that you said that the gender issue is of concern to all; however,
issue, and that is when you tend you need to be careful. People fall into the temptation of believing that
to slide backwards.”
an issue is settled once everyone agrees that it is an issue, and that is
Karen Serres, President, Fédération
when you tend to slide backwards. […]strength will lie in numbers so
nationale des syndicats d’exploitants
perhaps we should think in terms of defining representation; we cannot
agricoles (FNSEA), France
demand anything from IFAD but perhaps we could set a target, perhaps
a 30 per cent target […] to support the interest of women in
agriculture.”
Karen Serres, President, Fédération nationale des syndicats d’exploitants
agricoles (FNSEA)
Laurent Pellerin, AGRICORD and Karen
Serres, FNSEA, France
The Forum requested IFAD to support FOs to engage their women
members in the management and decision-making processes of their
organization, establishing a minimum quota. A call was also made to
IFAD to apply a minimum quota of 30 per cent women farmers in all
its programmes, projects, events and activities. This quota should
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