NEW YORK (November 12, 2012)— Join Oxfam’s global online policy discussion from November 19-30, 2012! Oxfam will be hosting an online discussion about how to achieve food justice for women. The purpose is to reframe the discourse on food security from the perspective of women’s rights and women’s agency. Rather than critique the current state of affairs, the discussion will seek to generate bold proposals for building a collective agenda to advance gender justice within the food system.
- What: A policy discussion to generate bold proposals for advancing gender justice within the food system
- Why: To share ideas, here those of others, and dialogue with some of the world’s best minds on how to make the food system work for women
- When: Two-week online discussion from November 19-30 in English, French and Spanish
- How: Each day we will post one essay online and invite your comments at http://blogs.oxfam.org/grow
This is the first in a series of online discussions to help deepen Oxfam’s understanding of the issues that drive its GROW campaign.
Oxfam has invited 10 experts – academics, activists, entrepreneurs and partners – to write short essays to get the discussion started. Each essay articulates a unique vision for how to tackle the systemic and institutional power imbalances between men and women in the food system. (See full list of contributors below.)
To conclude the online discussion, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Oliver de Schutter, will provide an overall analysis of the discussion and draw out key recommendations.
Come learn about Vandana Shiva’s recommendations for keeping seeds in women’s hands; be challenged by private sector perspectives on diversity in supply chains; discuss the ideas put forward by women farm workers; find out why ActionAid’s CEO thinks care is central to food justice; and much more.
Please spread the word and join the discussion!
For more information, please contact Lauren Ravon (lauren.ravon@oxfam.ca).
Ten experts, ten essays, one topic: Making the food system work for women
- Vandana Shiva, philosopher, feminist and environmental activist
- Elizabeth Vazquez, CEO of WEConnect and a world leader in global supplier diversity and inclusion
- Jayati Ghosh, professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University
- Joanna Kerr, CEO of ActionAid International and former Executive Director of AWID
- Nidhi Tandon, social activist and writer
- Tinna Nielsen, senior manager at Arla Foods, one of the world’s largest global food and dairy companies
- Pamela Caro, Chilean feminist researcher working with La Via Campesina
- Alexandra Spieldoch, women’s rights activist, formerly with WOCAN
- Fatima Shabodien, former director of Women on Farms in South Africa
- Sophia Murphy, senior advisor to the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
- PLUS: Oliver de Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food
