ISLAMABAD: Gender-based barriers limit women’s access to resources, information, and digital technologies, which in turn hamper their ability to farm efficiently and productively.
This year’s theme of International Women’s Day — ‘Digit All: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality’ is especially relevant to the agricultural sector, as technology and innovation can be powerful tools to break down gender-based barriers and prepare a level playing field for women.
These were the key takeaways of a panel discussion on the role of women in the agriculture sector led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) at the two-day international conference on “Biodiversity of Arid Zones”.
The panellists comprised Prof Dr Ghazala H Rizwani, director, Hamdard University Karachi, Dr Shabana Sartaj, associate professor English Literature, SAU, Tando Jam, and Dr Reema Vistro, lecturer agronomy, SAU, Umerkot.
During the discussion, it was emphasised that promoting gender equality in agriculture is crucial for sustainable development. Women are key players in agriculture, and their contribution is often overlooked.
However, project interventions from the FAO are not only helping women learn new, innovative, and climate-smart agriculture practices but also providing them with a platform to voice their opinion and ideas. Women farmers from the FAO project areas shared their experiences and views on how Women Farm Field Schools in different districts of the FAO’s interventions are empowering them at the household and community levels.
The FAO also hosted another panel discussion on climate-resilient crops and livestock production for food security in Pakistan at the conference. Discussion was moderated by Zahoor Ahmed, project coordinator FAO and featured Dr Zakir Hussain Dahri, director general, SARC, PARC, Dr Mansoor Ahmed, deputy director, Agriculture Extension Sindh, Government of Sindh, and Dr Javaid Memon, deputy director, Livestock Department, Government of Sindh.
The panellists discussed the need for drought- and heat-resistant crop varieties and innovative breeding techniques to combat the effects of climate change. They also emphasized the importance of using digital tools and sustainable livestock production practices, to increase livestock resilience to climate change. The panellists agreed that investing in climate-resilient crops and livestock production was essential to ensuring food security in the face of climate change.
The panel discussion was part of the FAO’s ongoing efforts to address the challenges posed by climate change to the agriculture sector in Pakistan. The FAO remains committed to working with the Government of Pakistan and other stakeholders to promote sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture practices in the country.
A stall was also set-up by the FAO.
Visitors on the stall were briefed about how FAO, through different project interventions, is working at the grassroots, as well as, national level to achieve sustainable development and food security.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023