The Ministry of Agriculture, in the person of Limber Cruz, and the Women’s Agricultural Sector Office, have understood that rural women, agricultural producers, must be at the center of reflection and agreement on public policies in the agricultural sector that are urgently needed. to reduce existing inequalities. Well, we cannot talk about Food and Nutritional Sovereignty and Security, Adaptation, Mitigation and Resilience to Climate Change, or a democratic system if we do not overcome gender inequality and inequity”, said Yndira Mejía, director of OSAM, during his inaugural address.
In that order of ideas, he stated that there are no magic recipes for the design of public policies, which is why “it is imperative to assume spaces like this to raise awareness, influence and promote true agendas that promote the structural changes necessary to achieve real empowerment. of women, that reduce inequalities with greater emphasis and attention on women with higher levels of vulnerability.
“Our rural women, our agricultural producers, through this forum, offer the authorities a way to negotiate and build solutions through proposals that place them as an engine of growth and development for themselves and their territories, understanding their needs and differentiated contexts before the problems that affect them,” added Mejia.
The event, which includes the participation of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), as well as 90 associations, federations, confederations and peasant movements, is taking place in the Brussels Hall of the Hotel Catalonia.
During this first session, the opening message was given by Mrs. Elsa Sánchez, from the coordinating team and member of the National Peasant Articulation; who was followed by Mrs. Claudia Brito, from FAO, who spoke on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment for the Transformation of the Food System in the Dominican Republic; Subsequently, Mrs. Fátima Portorreal, from CONAMUCA, went on to explain the progress, contributions and challenges of the Associations of Women Agricultural Producers; Closing remarks were given by Freddy Fernández, who, on behalf of Minister Limber Cruz, highlighted the value for the Ministry of Agriculture of holding this forum, which seeks to make visible and viable the work of women in the agricultural sector, to design public policies tailored to their needs.
It is recalled that this forum takes place within the framework of the celebration of the International Day of Rural Women and World Food Day.
