CSW 70 General Discussion: FAO Plenary Statement

CSW 70 General Discussion: FAO Plenary Statement

Koloina Andriaman, Junior Professional Officer of the FAO Liaison Office with the United Nations

17/03/2026

Excellencies, distinguished guests,

1. It is an honor to address this distinguished gathering at the 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women, at a time when the international community must strengthen its resolve to ensure that women's contributions and rights are fully recognized and supported.
2. This year, we celebrate the International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026 which provides great opportunity to elevate the visibility, leadership and contributions of women farmers in agrifood systems, while advancing policies and investments that empower all women working in these systems. It is also an opportunity to promote greater synergies among international initiatives supporting women farmers.
3. Women farmers are indispensable actors in agrifood systems, making up around 40% of the global agrifood force. Yet their contributions remain undervalued and are constrained by persistent gender inequalities. Across contexts, women have less secure access to and control over land as well as finance, fewer opportunities for education and extension services, and limited participation in decision-making spaces that shape agricultural policies and rural development pathways.
4. The International Year of the Woman Farmer aims to raise awareness about these challenges and to catalyze policy reforms, investments and collective action that empower women farmers and strengthen food security, nutrition, economic security, climate resilience and rural livelihoods.
5. Equality between women and men and the empowerment of women farmers are integral to FAO's mandate. Our latest evidence, including The Status of Women in Agrifood Systems, The Unjust Climate, and The Status of Youth in Agrifood Systems reports, underscores the magnitude of structural gender disparities in agrifood systems and their adverse effects on productivity, incomes and resilience.
6. FAO estimates that, across agrifood systems, women earn just 78 cents for every dollar earned by men, and women farmers - who often cultivate smaller plots - still face a 24% productivity gap even when managing farms of the same size.
7. But FAO analyses also point to clear opportunities: when women farmers have equal access to land, technologies, finance and markets, productivity rises, hunger falls and rural economies become more robust.
8. FAO underscores that closing the gaps between men and women in farm productivity and wages could raise global gross domestic product by USD 1 trillion and reduce food insecurity for 45 million people.
9. FAO continues to work closely with other UN agencies, regional bodies, development partners and civil society to ensure that the Year translates into tangible impact at national and local levels. This includes enhancing statistics and sex-disaggregated data, promoting reforms that secure women's land rights, expanding access to affordable credit and climate-resilient technologies, and creating inclusive rural institutions where women's voices are heard and valued.

   10.The International Year of the Woman Farmer marks an important moment to drive concrete action through stronger partnerships and increased investments in women farmers' empowerment. This will contribute to building more resilient, inclusive and equitable agrifood systems and upholding the dignity, rights and leadership of every woman farmer across the globe.

   Thank you.