Women make essential contributions to agriculture and are the backbone of rural economies, especially in developing countries. Their productivity and ability to benefit from trade opportunities, however, is undermined by their inadequate access to key services and resources, among which agro-technologies. These, in fact, are still too often developed without consideration of women’s needs and without their participation. Moreover, service providers and rural organizations, which are a key channel for technology dissemination, often fail to recognize women’s key role in agriculture and target them effectively.
The event will discuss challenges and opportunities linked to technology development and adoption from a gender perspective. Agro-technologies have the potential to improve women’s ability to benefit from trade opportunities, but their introduction can also bear negative side effects, such as reduction of women’s employment resulting for example from automation or loss of traditional knowledge.
The event will therefore share lessons learned and promising solutions from different perspectives. It will also highlight how to foster a policy and regulatory environment that is enabling for women’s participation in agricultural trade. The event will explore the role that AidForTrade plays in this field.
Moderator
- Simonetta Zarrilli, Chief, Trade, Gender and Development Programme, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
Panellists
- Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett, Director, Liaison Office in Geneva, Food and Agriculture Organization
- Isabelle Durant, Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
- Francesca Brenda Opoku, Chief Executive Officer, Solution Oasis Ltd, Ghana
- Kari Puurunen, Deputy Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of Finland to the WTO
