Mrs Ben Ali’s address to 2nd Summit of Non-aligned Movement First Ladies in Rome

First lady Leila Ben Ali, chairwoman of the Arab Women’s Organization (AWO), delivered an address to the 2nd Summit of the Non-aligned Countries’ First Ladies, held in Rome on the following subject “Food security and women’s access to resources “.

Here is the full text of this address :
“In the Name of God, the Merciful and the Compassionate
Your Excellency, Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, Chairwoman of the Summit,
Your Highnesses,
Your Excellencies,
Mr. Secretary General of the United Nations,
Mr. President of the United Nations General Assembly,
Mr. Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations,

I am pleased to convey my warmest greetings to our honourable sister Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, and to all the First Ladies of the non-aligned countries who are participating in this summit on “Food security and women’s access to resources”.

Access to food is a fundamental human right and an essential foundation of peoples’ security and sovereignty.
Every human being, whatever his situation and wherever he is, must be offered adequate conditions for access to food, so as he can guarantee his survival, protect his health, and undertake his work and activities.
Our world today is confronted with a sharp food crisis that threatens to take us away from achieving the first Millennium Development Goal, namely eliminating poverty and hunger.
Statistics indicate that over one billion people are suffering from hunger in the world. This is, in fact, an unhealthy situation this unbecoming of human dignity, and a flagrant civilisational paradox in the age of human rights and knowledge and technological progress.

Most developing countries are faced with huge challenges in meeting the food needs of their populations. These challenges include, in particular, the harsh climate conditions, water scarcity, sand encroachment, scarcity of arable lands, and deterioration of the natural environment, along with the deficiency of scientific research, and, particularly, the insecurity and instability resulting from political tensions and armed conflicts, while, in reality, no food security can be achieved without political consensus and social stability.
Women are tightly linked to the issue of food security, especially at this delicate international juncture during which humanity is facing the impacts of an acute financial and economic crisis, and is witnessing various manifestations of climate change, natural disasters, scourges and epidemics.

Women currently represent the majority of the workforce in the agricultural sector, especially in developing countries where women accomplish about 70% of the works, without benefiting, for the most part, from guidance services, credit facilities, and labour techniques, though they produce most of the locally-consumed food products, while at the same time taking care of their household affairs.
Though the financial crisis has oriented the international community’s attention toward the importance of investment in agriculture, the fact remains that inequality between men and women in terms of access to resources constitutes a major challenge that threatens to undermine women’s ability to accomplish their economic role in the family and in society.

In fact, the percentage of women who own agricultural lands is less than 2%.
Besides, women’s access to agricultural credits and funding is still low in most countries of the world.
This can only reduce the opportunities offered for women to promote their role in achieving food security, family stability and social well-being.

No doubt the situation of rural women currently poses a host of challenges related to the socio-economic realities of women and their participation in comprehensive and sustainable development.
In fact, women can accomplish their role in achieving food security only when their living conditions are improved, especially in rural areas where it is necessary to bring health services closer to people, expand literacy programmes, and disseminate the professional, social and economic culture that enables the local populations to achieve stability and engage in construction and investment.
It is also necessary to provide rural areas with the required collective facilities, including schools, healthcare centres, roads and tracks, decent housing, electricity and drinking water, in addition to other forms of care and assistance that promote the quality of life of inhabitants.

Rural women need incentives that encourage them to enhance agricultural production to the sought level, by offering them adequate access to micro-credits, enabling them to benefit from the results of scientific research in working the land, helping them acquire the necessary know-how in terms of marketing, and enhancing their contribution to promoting the family economy.
In reality, a society’s progress depends on improving women’s conditions, both in cities and rural areas, and food self-sufficiency requires equal chances and partnership for men and women.
Given the intensification of the phenomenon of climate change, which carries risks affecting the ecological balance and agricultural production in particular, it is necessary to raise the awareness of women working in the agricultural sector of these serious problems, and to orient their attention toward fighting pollution, saving energy, and ensuring the rational exploitation of natural resources.

As chairwoman of the Arab Women Organization, we still endeavour to consolidate the various programmes designed to improve the conditions of Arab women and enhance their capacities, so that they can fully assume their role in promoting comprehensive and sustainable development in our countries, based on the principles of equality, justice and balanced partnership between men and women.
This is, in fact, the approach we will adopt in the third congress of the Arab Women Organisation, to be held in Tunis in October 2010 under the topic of :”Arab Women: an essential partner in the process of sustainable development”.
I am convinced that this Summit will come out with results and recommendations that deserve all due attention and follow-up, which will prompt us to forge ahead with our action for the advent of a world enjoying more justice, balance, security and stability. Thank you for your attention.” (TAP)