IFPRI Policy Seminar “Beijing +20 and Beyond: How Gender Research Is Changing the Landscape of Food Policy” October 14, 2015. Presentation by Marc Cohen, Oxfam America.

1. Genderresearch & food
policy
NGO PERSPECTIVE
Marc J. Cohen October 14, 2016

2. Page 2

3. Page 3
PROGRAM GUIDANCE
Women: The Key to Food
Security (1995) has had
considerable influence
•E.g., target women
because they invest
income in their children’s
health & nutrition
•Equal access to ag
resources for women =>
significant production
gains

4. Page 4
NGOs PARTNER WITH CGIAR

5. Page 5
INFLUENCE OF WEAI

6. Page 6
HELP KILLING “ZOMBIE FACTS”
E.g.:
•Women own less than 1% (2%, some other low %) of the
world’s land
•70% of all poor people are women
•Gender = women

7. Page 7
CRITICISMS
• Cecile Jackson
• Little uptake of IFPRI gender/intrahousehold work on Bangladesh by
NGOs there
• Elisabetta Basile
• IFPRI gender work grounded in neo-classical economics
• Does not explore grounding of economy in social institutions (a la
Veblen)
• Critique of Progresa evaluation
• Ethical concerns around RTC, poor women not getting resources
• CCTs fail to empower women and reinforce gender inequalities
• Social security is a right
• Universal programs are more cost-effective than targeted