By Diana Wilkinson
Sixty percent of the world’s hungry are women according to the FAO–and if you add children into the mix that number climbs to about 80 percent. A number like that is not only hard to forget but also reinforces how the current food system is institutionally flawed.
Ironically enough, women also grow 80 percent of the food in developing countries despite the major societal barriers. Often women do not have the same ability to own land, visit markets, make vital agricultural purchases as the men in their countries.
They are typically responsible for other incredibly time consuming ventures like childcare, cooking and fetching water, which can be incredibly dangerous in some places.
“Food sovereignty is about an end to all forms of violence against women,” said writer and activist Raj Patel, “The way that capitalism works today is that it demands a subsidy of women’s work, especially women’s work in the home. Women’s work is often unpaid and contributes to well over half of the output of the world’s economy.”
Addressing gender equality issues around the globe and even domestically is paramount when trying combat issues of hunger. It’s estimated that if those women in developing nations had equal access to resources 150 million fewer people in the world would go hungry.
Even in the United States, changing the very structures the food system was built upon, in regards to gender and race are what needs to happen if we desire lasting change. Instead of ignoring those crucial factors and collectively working to create more of a level playing field we can truly begin to create a fair food system
Thank you for this post. I could not agree more The beautiful thing about food is that it is a point of entry to these very important issues of race, gender and other structural prejudices. These issues can be very difficult to take on face to face, or discuss openly without provocation, encouragement or a metaphor. Food provides these. Food is a mirror to our society. But it also has the aspect of pleasure which is universal. The other helpful thing about food as a method to breach these difficult societal gaps is the cultural weight food can carry. This is how cultures express identity and a great way to share and experience identity. You may not speak Spanish, but you can still appreciate Mexican food. The language of cuisine needs no words, it is the pure essence of the land you come from. It IS the land you come from. Yes, food justice is about all other forms of justice. Thank you for highlighting this so well.
This past semester I took a class titled Gender & Environment, which triggered my interest in the gendered roles of food production, and how women are especially vulnerable to environmental changes.
Your third paragraph reminded me of a term that was often used in our class discussions: the double burden. The double burden describes women’s dual role–working outside of the home (paid labor) and carrying out the domestic tasks in the home as well. This poses a great deal of stress, especially for women who, for example, have to travel far for water, as you mentioned.
Environmental changes also have a large impact on food security. What comes to mind is the Sorsogon City Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment. I found this study to be very fascinating, and if you’re interested in lreading about it, this is the link: http://www.fukuoka.unhabitat.org/programmes/ccci/pdf/PHI2_Sorsogon_Vulnerability_Assessment.pdf