Gender integration in food systems

The document emphasizes that gender equality and women's empowerment are catalysts for progress in agriculture, health, and climate change adaptation, yet significant gaps persist in asset ownership and governance. It warns that 'gender-blind' research and data create a 'cycle of invisibility' that reinforces existing inequities and produces policies that primarily benefit dominant social groups. The note advocates for an intersectional approach in R4D to improve the quality of science and generate more equitable outcomes in food systems.

• Gender equality and women's empowerment are linked to positive outcomes in economic growth, food and nutrition security, and climate change adaptation, as well as progress in agriculture, health, and environmental sustainability.
• Despite their role in global food security, women in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries are often relegated to informal, low-return positions with limited influence over governance; globally, women hold only 14% of agricultural land.
• The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected women and girls, particularly those from marginalized groups, resulting in increased unpaid care work, loss of income in feminized value chains like fish trade, and intensified gender-based violence.
• Research for development (R4D) that is gender-blind or claims neutrality risks exacerbating gender gaps by relying on male-biased sampling and data interpretation, which leads to a 'cycle of invisibility' and policies that fail to meet the needs of women and marginalized people.
• Integrating an intersectional lens—considering age, class, caste, ethnicity, ability, and sexual orientation—throughout the R4D project cycle is essential for the quality of science and the creation of equitable innovations.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2022). Gender integration in food systems. https://www.sei.org/publications/gender-integration-food-systems/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Gender integration in food systems. 2022. https://www.sei.org/publications/gender-integration-food-systems/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Gender integration in food systems |date=1 November 2022 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/gender-integration-food-systems/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2022gender, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Gender integration in food systems}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2022}, month = nov, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/gender-integration-food-systems/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }