CEDAW/C/1996/3/Add.4
English
Page 2
ANNEX
Report of the Food and Agriculture Organization
of the United Nations
I.
BACKGROUND
1.
In its twenty-seventh session in 1993, the Conference requested that a
fourth progress report be prepared for its twenty-eighth session in 1995; it
also called for revision of the Plan of Action (C 93/I/REP/3), as per the first
progress report’s provision for periodic review of priority implementation areas
in order to assure their continued relevance. Consequently, the report and
revised Plan of Action are presented for review and approval.
2.
The activities described in the present report demonstrate that FAO
continues to make significant progress in the implementation of the Plan of
Action for Women in Development, both in its substantive and administrative
priority areas.
II.
PROGRESS ON IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN OF ACTION
3.
In its substantive programme actions, FAO continued to develop innovative
interventions oriented towards increasing rural women’s access to and control of
productive resources, especially through improved extension and training. Many
organization activities highlighted the crucial roles played by rural women in
such areas as food security, household nutrition and family well-being,
demographics, and ecologically sustainable development. In many countries, the
institutional capabilities to recognize the differential needs and constraints
of rural women as opposed to men has been strengthened, and the ability of these
institutions, both governmental and non-governmental, to deliver services that
reflect these differential needs and constraints has been enhanced. By learning
from these experiences, FAO will be better prepared to replicate successes in
other countries and to develop even better interventions in the future.
Section III of the present report provides examples of 1994-1995 achievements in
the substantive areas of gender-sensitive project development and monitoring,
gender-analysis training, and gender-responsive policy advice to member
countries.
4.
FAO also strove to achieve progress in the administrative priority areas,
especially in regard to the very special effort to revise the plan of action and
to the preparatory and follow-up activities to the Fourth World Conference on
Women. Section IV of the present report provides information on activities
undertaken during the biennium to mainstream women in development/gender issues
both within the organization and in member States. Draft decisions for the
Conference are presented in section V.
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