NGO Documents for the UN Commission on Sustainable Development 8th Session, 2000

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CSD NGO WOMEN'S CAUCUS
Comments and Suggestions re: Possible Elements for a Draft Decision by the Commission on Sustainable Development at its 8th Session

Note: The Women's Caucus puts forward the suggestions below on the basis of

i) language in the Declaration and Plan of Action of the World Food Summit, 1996,

(WFS) relating to women's central role in food security and agriculture, (see especially Commitment 1.3) the importance of gender mainstreaming in policies and the principle of gender equality (see inter alia the Beijing Platform, the World Summit on Social Development adopted texts)

ii) the fact that women produce at least 80% of the food in Africa and over 50% in Asia and Latin America, and that the WFS emphasises the central role of 'household food security I

iii) the increasing 'feminization' of farming in developing countries, due to male out-migration

iv) in the light of the forthcoming II Beijing + 5" Special Session of the General Assembly, 2-6 June 2000, UN. New York

v) and of the forthcoming review of national and international implementation of Commitments 1,2,5, and 7 of the WFS Plan of Action by the FAD Committee on World Food Security, 12-16 September, 2000.

Suggestions:

Paragraph 69, line 2: before 'food security' ADD 'national and household'

Paragraph 96, line 2: after 'improved' ADD 'gender equal'

Paragraph 96, line 4: after 'World Food Summit' ADD 'with full attention to the central role of women in developing countries throughout the food chain'

Paragraph 106, line 5. After 'rural development' ADD 'policies and programmes based on prior Gender Impact Assessments and full gender mainstreaming'

Paragraph 110, line 5. After the words 'in consultation with major groups' ADD 'including women'.