Event (DC): Strengthening Rural Women’s Leadership in Farmer and Producer Organizations– Experiences from Nepal and the Philippines

Jeannette D. Gurung Director of Women Organizing for Change in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management (WOCAN)  Thursday, 22 July 2010 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm

After being overlooked for decades, women are finally being recognized as key drivers of agriculture. Consequently, there is a growing awareness that investing in agriculture often means investing in women. There is less consensus, however, about how to effectively support women farmers. Therefore, a discussion on investing in women farmers is especially timely and necessary. What impact does women’s leadership have on farmer and producer organizations? What are the main obstacles to women assuming leadership positions in farmer organizations? What are the most effective ways of strengthening the capacity of women farmers to play leadership roles in farmer and producer organizations? How can these efforts be used to expand the representation of women farmers in policy negotiations from the grassroots to the national, regional and global levels? Ms. Gurung will address these questions and discuss WOCAN’s new partnership with IFAD to strengthen the capacity of women farmers to play leadership roles in farmer and producer organizations. This will include an overview of WOCAN’s efforts to provide capacity building and mentoring to women and men in farmer organizations in Nepal and the Philippines.

Location: InterAction 1400 16th Street, NW – Room C Washington, DC 20036 Please RSVP by Monday, 19 July to Liliana Valente @ 202-331-9099 or l.valente@ifad.org ***Space is limited*** This luncheon is part of a periodic seminar series focused on issues of gender, agriculture and natural resource management. The series is co-sponsored by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the World Bank.