UN Report: 70% of World’s Hungry are Women

Women account for 70 percent of the worlds hungry irrespective of the fact that they produce more than half of the global food output, reports the United Nations.

Their lower social status in many countries means they receive less food than men, Hilal Elver, special rapporteur on the right to food at the UN’s Human Rights Council, said in a report released on March 8, International Women’s Day. While women play a crucial role in global agricultural production, their access to food is affected at all stages of life, she said, stating that the phenomenon is most vivid in South Africa, where women produce up to 80% of agricultural production.

“Women face difficulties in maintaining household incomes due to increased competition with imported agricultural goods, reduced prices, and declining commodity prices in international market,” she said. They also find it hard to engage in “market activities when cultural norms make it socially unacceptable for them to interact with men.”

Countries across the world need to develop policies to close the gender gap in agriculture, according to the UN.

“Ensuring land rights, reinforcing the rights of girls and women to education and social protection and increasing women’s participation in decision-making in a meaningful manner are critical,” Elver said.