EU Green Week 2023: Making the Green Transition Gender Inclusive
- In the framework of the #EUGreenWeek 2023, the UfM, FAO, CIHEAM, and PRIMA co-organised a webinar on “Women as key players in greening Mediterranean food systems: drivers and challenges” on the 5th of June 2023 from 14h to 16h. The webinar aimed to provide a space to discuss how we can tackle the significant gender gaps and empower women in building resilient and inclusive food systems in the Mediterranean region.
- Representatives from diverse backgrounds such as governments, agri-food enterprises, successful women entrepreneurs, researchers, international organisations, and civil society participated sharing good practices and discussing solutions for a gender inclusive green transition of Mediterranean food systems.
- In particular, panelists shared their experiences and recommendations with almost 200 online attendees on how to ensure that the green transition can be a driver rather than a challenge for Mediterranean women and on how to guarantee female participation as well as leadership in the green transformation of Mediterranean food systems.
Barcelona, 5 June 2023. The UfM, FAO, CIHEAM, and PRIMA Webinar on women as key players in greening Mediterranean food systems represented a fruitful space for discussion on ways and recommendations to achieve a gender equal green transition in agriculture and Mediterranean food systems, also in line with the commitment taken in Madrid last October by the UfM Ministers to create the enabling conditions to a full and equal participation of women in the green economy.
This event is the fifth of the SFS-MED webinar series, jointly organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM), the Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), and the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA) within the framework of the SFS-MED Platform, a multi-stakeholder initiative for Sustainable Food Systems in the Mediterranean.
The webinar was moderated by Anna Dorangricchia, Project Manager and Gender Expert at the Social and Civil Affairs Division at UfM and Lauren Philips from FAO delivered the introductory remarks highlighting the crucial role of women in the green transition and the challenges they face in accessing support and opportunities in green agriculture.
Frida Krifca, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Albania and President of the Governing Board at CIHEAM stressed in her keynote remarks the importance of Mediterranean women having greater control over assets like water, land, and mobility. She also highlighted the need for a comprehensive approach in terms of access to resources and gender-responsive budgeting and accounting.
Five panelists from civil society, the private sector, and academia shared their recommendations and experiences on how women can play a role in sustainable food systems, particularly in rural areas, and on how we can build effective regional cooperation to support a green and gender inclusive transition.
- Shada El Sharif, founder of SustainMENA, provided concrete examples of turning challenges into factors of development and resilience, highlighting initiatives and projects in Jordan and the region. She also emphasized the importance of women’s access to finance and funding,
- Sarine Karajerjian from the Arab Reform Initiative (ARI) emphasized the importance of a democratic and regional cooperation for a just and green transition in food sovereignty.
- Gordana Rokvić from the University of Banja Luka highlighted the role of networks and associations in supporting women during the green transition. She discussed the potential and opportunities that environmentally friendly food systems offer for women.
- Guadaluna Chaer, co-founder of LUXEED Robotics, presented her technology to green the food production in Lebanon and addressed the importance of access to incubators, networks, finance, as well as knowledge of these mechanisms for women.
- Rajae Chafil, Director of the Climate Change Competence Center of Morocco (4C Maroc), emphasized the significance of creating an environment such as the Club 4cMaroc Femmes et Changement climatique launched in March 2023 where women working on climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies can exchange experience and expertise.
The webinar concluded with a question-and-answer session, allowing participants to engage directly with the panelists.
In the framework of the #EUGreenWeek 2023, UfM Project Manager Anna Dorangricchia also intervened in two sessions of the PRIMA Webinar “Empowering Women as Champions of the Mediterranean’s Green Transition“. Each of them was attended by more than 100 online participants.
