Gender and youth

Elearning opportunity: Women and youth empowerment in agriculture in Africa in the context of AfCFTA

Join this online learning opportunity, taking place from Nov. 6 to Dec. 8, in English and French. Deadline to apply is Nov. 3. Apply here: https://idep-applications.uneca.org/?language=en Background Women make up more than 50% of Africa’s population and 80% of them reside in rural areas. Over 60% are employment in rural areas in the agriculture sector . The trend is not much different for youth. They are ill-equipped and lack the

International Youth Day 2023: Green Skills for Youth, paving the Path Towards a Sustainable World

The significance of sustainability and environmental consciousness cannot be overstated in our rapidly changing world. Climate change poses unprecedented challenges, and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has become a global imperative. As we strive to create a greener, more sustainable world, the role of youth in agriculture and their green skills take center stage. On International Youth Day 2023 (12 August), the theme “Green Skills for Youth: Towards a

Youth in Bangui are the go-to people for farming techniques in the Central African Republic

Young people in Bangui turn their training into skills to share with their entire community. Whilst studying for his business degree, Emmanuel had dreams of being an entrepreneur and earning good money. But after he graduated, the 29-year-old struggled to find opportunities in his home city of Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic (CAR). Youth make up 70 percent of the population of CAR, a country which has

Uniting and Empowering: The ‘Women, Economy, and Resilience’ Forum fuels a female-led agricultural revolution in West Africa

Agriculture in West Africa plays a vital role in the regional economy, with over 60% of the population directly relying on this sector for their livelihoods. However, despite its importance, agriculture is marked by glaring inequalities. Women, who make up nearly 80% of the labor force in food production, often remain marginalized, and their contribution is largely overlooked. West Africa is a region rich in arable land, stretching from the

Increased fish demand in Gabon offers youth an outlet in aquaculture

Growing the potential of fish farms to increase incomes and secure a nutritious food source Levedy Céleste Lossangoye developed a passion for fish farming at an early age. She grew up surrounded by fish ponds on her family’s fish farm in Andem in the Central African country of Gabon. Located around 60 kilometres from Libreville, the country’s capital, her family’s farm has 21 ponds across two hectares and has a

Rural youth: protecting the climate through innovation

How FAO projects are encouraging youth to embrace technology and take the lead in the fight against climate change Climate change is intensifying rural poverty and food insecurity, driving people away from farming communities and changing their way of life. So what can we do about it? Young people are often more willing to adopt new practices and take risks. They can act as a bridge between traditional farming techniques

INVITATION: Together to end child labour in agrifood value chains

It is an alarming fact that 70 percent of children engaged in child labour worldwide – 112 million – are working in agriculture. Their work goes beyond the limits of safety and well-being and crosses into a form of labour that can harm their health and undermine their education, perpetuating poverty and food insecurity. Even more worrisome, child labour has increased between 2016 and 2020, with an additional four million

“Women Peasant are Women: Understanding violence against rural women in Eastern and Southern Africa” publication launched in Mozambique

UNAC and La Via Campesina Southern and Eastern Africa (LVC SEAf) proceeded on Friday morning, March 17, 2023, at the Brazil-Mozambique Cultural Center, in Maputo, to launch the publication “Women Peasant are Women: Understanding violence against rural women in Eastern and Southern Africa”, a document that addresses the violence that peasant women have been subjected to in the regions of Eastern and Southern Africa. The occasion gathered 93 people, mostly

FAO and International Trade Centre renew commitment to empower women agrifood traders in African Continental Free Trade Area

Phase II of joint programme doubles investment, expands to two new countries, and introduces component on women’s access to finance The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Trade Centre’s (ITC) SheTrades Initiative have launched Phase II of the EWAT programme: Empowering women and boosting livelihoods through agricultural trade: Leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Spanning across four countries, Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria and