New campaign for women: "Poverty is sexist"

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More rights for women are one solution in the struggle against extreme poverty and hunger, says Stephan Exo-Kreischer, Director of ONE Germany. The organisation specialises in political campaigning as a lever for change.

Stephan Exo-Kreischer is Director of the German arm of ONE, the lobbying and campaigning organisation.

By Stephan Exo-Kreischer

Stephan Exo-Kreischer is Germany's director of the lobby and campaign organization, ONE.

All contributions

ONE

Brot für die Welt

A world without hunger – extreme poverty has many causes and impacts: education, food, health … it can be confusing for helpers and members of the public. Is it a hopeless struggle?

 

Stephan Exo-Kreischer: It helps if we bear in mind the successes achieved by the international community in the last fifteen years – for example, in combating AIDS, child mortality, hunger and extreme poverty. The number of people living in extreme poverty – that is, on less than one dollar ninety a day – has more than halved in the last twenty years. That is a huge success. At ONE we constantly ask ourselves what works. Once we have figured that out, our next question is: how can as many people as possible benefit? It’s not for nothing that we see ourselves as ‘factivists’ – that is, activists who act on the basis of facts and demand political action.

 

What does that mean in practice?

 

For example, the data shows that growth in agriculture effectively reduces extreme poverty. In sub-Saharan Africa it can be ten times as successful as growth in other sectors: that is, mining, utilities and the service sector. That is not really surprising, if you consider that two thirds of the population of Africa work in agriculture and that their earnings make up at least a third of the gross domestic product for the entire continent. So, if you want to develop agriculture in Africa, you need to support small-scale farmers. That is how the potential in agriculture can kick-start economic development as a whole.

 

‘If women farmers had access to the same means of production as men, yields could rise by 20 or even 30 per cent!’

 

Agriculture is still a very big area. We don’t see exactly where to start …

 

We can focus in even further: onto women. They do around half of all agricultural work in Africa, but compared with men they have poor access to land, labour, agricultural machinery and inputs, advisory services and loans. For that reason they get lower returns with the same investment. If women farmers had access to the same means of production as men, yields could rise by 20 or even 30 per cent! In turn that would mean more produce for the markets, higher incomes for women and better food for the children. The number of people suffering chronic hunger could be reduced by 100 to 150 million.

 

Which lever will ONE be using now? What is your strategy?

 

ONE wants to empower women in all areas with the campaign ‘Poverty is sexist’. We analysed their importance specifically for farming in a report from 2015. And we are campaigning in the countries themselves to strengthen women’s rights; in Mali, for instance. There is a serious imbalance there: although the women bring in eighty per cent of the harvest, the men own the land. Women’s ownership rights are severely restricted on cultural and religious grounds. That has to change, and that is why we and our partners are getting involved.

 

What can be done?

 

The Malian parliament is about to introduce comprehensive reform of a law governing land rights. If the reform is passed, women and young people working in agriculture will receive 15 per cent of the land. ONE has campaigned for this law to be passed, because it would be a crucial step towards empowering women and a major success in the fight against hunger and poverty in Mali. Ultimately growth in agriculture carries the other sectors with it, jobs and new incomes are created and people’s lives are improved all over the country.

 

So, success was guaranteed, then.

 

By no means. There was a lot of opposition. So, to gain support for the reform, ONE spent a year working with a broad alliance of civil society stakeholders towards a two-day conference, where we discussed the land rights reform with members of the Malian parliament. There is now widespread approval for the view that empowering women is good for Mali and good for the whole of society. We are anticipating that the law will be passed shortly.

 

To sum up: a campaign strengthens women’s ownership rights, strengthens agriculture and strengthens the country. A clear lever and an appropriate strategy. What other campaigns are there?

 

It is hard to believe, but in many parts of Africa internet access drives development! For instance, in Kenya farmers have boosted their incomes by 13 per cent – because suddenly they could use their mobile phones to optimise supply chains. Two thirds of the population of Africa still has no access to the internet. There is huge potential for development there.

 

‘In many parts of Africa internet access drives development.’

 

Where else is ONE pulling levers?

 

ONE’s two main goals are ending extreme poverty and eradicating preventable and treatable diseases such as AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in the poorest countries of the world, and especially in Africa. The public has a major role to play in this. We believe that every person can use his or her voice to help to change the world. ONE has more than seven million supporters worldwide, which is seven million voices to put pressure on politicians. Last year, thanks to these supporters and the ONE youth ambassadors active in various European countries, we scored a major success: Germany and the whole donor community financed in full the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, so that it can continue its successful work in the coming years and thus help to save the lives of eight million people. For a while the full funding had been hanging in the balance.

 

How did you manage that?

 

We put pressure on politicians on all fronts! All over the world, but especially in Germany: nearly 180,000 people signed our petition, prominent scientists and actors wrote an open letter to Gerd Müller, the Development Minister, almost two thousand people sent him a postcard asking for his support, the ONE youth ambassadors took every opportunity to meet relevant politicians and point out the importance of the Global Fund … and that’s just a few examples!

 

What can the German Government do to help combat hunger?

 

At the moment the nutrition sector is severely underfunded worldwide, despite its importance – only one per cent of global development funds are being invested in food-specific development cooperation. The German Government should act to combat malnutrition and in particular to feed women and children. The first thing to do, of course, is to meet its self-imposed target of spending 0.7 per cent of the gross national product on development cooperation. We are now on 0.52 per cent. However, that figure hides funds to the tune of almost three billion euros that have been spent in Germany for the crucial care of refugees – not to fight poverty in developing countries. The 0.7 per cent target should be met without including those funds. Moreover, as the least developed countries are most affected by hunger and poverty, at least half the funds should go to them.

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An investment in Africa's future

A contritbution by Essa Chanie Mussa (University of Gondar)

Rural youth need viable livelihood opportunities to escape out of poverty and realize their aspirations. How could they be helped to fully unleash their potential? This is an aloud call that needs novel strategies among governments, policy makers, and international development partners and donors.

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“They said: You can do it”

A contribution by Bread for the World

As President of the IABM cooperative in Muhanga, Alphonsine Mukankusi is not simply focused on the figures. She has learned how to deal with people and how to take on responsibility. At the same time, her work helps her to come to terms with the past

 

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A new attempt at Africa's industrialization?

A contribution by Helmut Asche

Afrika is about ready. There are promising approaches for a sustainable industrialization. However, the path poses challenges to the continent.

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"Extreme is the new normal"

A report by Alexander Müller and Jes Weigelt (TMG)

As the climate changes, the population of Africa is growing and fertile land and jobs are becoming scarcer. New ways are currently leading to urbanisation of agriculture and a new mid-sized sector in the countryside

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(c) Privat

Small Farms, big money

A contribution by Agnes Kalibata

Agnes Kalibata, AGRA president since 2014 and former minister of agriculture and wildlife in Rwanda, is convinced that Africa's economy will only grow sustainably if small-scale agriculture is also seen as an opportunity.

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UNFSS Pre-Summit: What did it achieve?

Interview with Martina Fleckenstein (WWF), Michael Kühn (WHH) and Christel Weller-Molongua (GIZ)

After the summit means pre-summit: It was the first time that the United Nations held a summit on food systems. Martina Fleckenstein, Michael Kühn and Christel Weller-Molongua reviewed the situation in this joint interview.

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How Can We Feed The World in Times of Climate Change?

A Contribution by Jan Grossarth

Genetically modified bacteria become edible proteins, cows graze on pasture, and no waste is produced in an industrial circular economy. Journalist Jan Grossarth sees a silver lining for the future of world nutrition

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(c) GIZ

Youth Employment in Rural Areas

The world’s population keeps on growing; with this rise comes an increased need for food as well as productive employment opportunities. Offering young people in rural areas better employment prospects is one of the objectives of the sector project. The young population is the key to a modern and efficient agricultural economy.

A project of GIZ

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Digitalization: The Driving Force in the Future of Agriculture?

A Contribution by GIZ

At the ICTforAg conference in March 2022, the digital agriculture community exchanged on the challenges and opportunities associated with the next green revolution.

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German G7 Presidency – fighting hunger with all our might

A Contribution by Welthungerhilfe

In the run-up to the G7 summit, experts from politics and civil society discussed sustainable and more effective options for action by the G7 states to combat hunger.

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‘Invite yourself’ – Farmers organisations as key stakeholders of food systems

A Contribution by Andreas-Hermes-Akademie

The Andreas Hermes Academy (AHA) discusses the transformation of food systems with 30 representatives of farmers organisations.

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What does it take to truly shift the paradigm on food systems?

An Interview by GDPRD

Why are short- and long-term responses important to address current and future global crises? Sebastian Lesch, Head of the Agriculture Division at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), provides answers to these and other questions in an interview with the Global Donor Platform for Rural Development (GDPRD) and explains how much Germany welcomes all donors pulling together and acting in concert.

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Sustainable, feminist and socially just: The new Africa strategy of the BMZ

A contribution by Prof. Dr. Anna-Katharina Hornidge

In the video format "#99SecondsWith" of the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), Prof. Dr Anna - Katharina Hornidge talks about the new Africa-Strategy of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

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How a Nigerian fintech wants to secure 1 billion US dollars for farms

An Interview with Blessing Mene

Small farmers often have a hard time getting financing. An app in Nigeria wants to change that: Founder Blessing Mene about what his app offers - and about the opportunities and limitations of agricultural financing.

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Partners for change - Network meeting on transforming agricultural and food systems

A Contribution by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development

At the network meeting "Partners for change - Transformation to a food secure, resilient and sustainable future", almost 250 participants from over 20 countries came together to exchange experiences and ideas on the transformation of agricultural and food systems. The final product, joint recommendations to transform agricultural and food systems, can now be read online.

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The common thread is the importance of collaboration

A contribution by Scaling Up Nutrition Movement

It takes the joint efforts of diverse actors to achieve a transformative impact on the global food system. Barbara Rehbinder, Scaling Up Nutrition Movement (SUN), discusses four people-centred principles to get closer to this goal.

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Agricultural Financing – from a broader Perspective

A Contribution by GIZ

In Sub-Saharan Africa, not all financial institutions (FIs) have access to knowledge about how to implement processes to enhance rural financial inclusion. The pan-African Community of Practice (CoP) plays a pivotal role in supporting these institutions along this transformative journey.

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Agriculture is more than Culture or Tradition

A Contribution by Simeon Kambalame

How can agriculture engage more young people in rural areas? Advocacy and education campaigns can play an important role here. Simeon Kambalame, Timveni Child and Youth Media Organisation, has launched such a campaign in Malawi.

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Sowing change

A Contribution by Brot für die Welt

Roughly 800 million people suffer from hunger worldwide. Change is needed - for people and for the environment. Brot für die Welt reports on the starting points offered by everyone's ecological footprint and handprint.

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Shu Wen Ng, the Clear-Sighted

An Interview with Shu Wen Ng

Shu Wen Ng is a health economist. She knows what is best suited to go on a plate. But how can this be achieved on a mass scale in countries with lower incomes? "The solutions to gett there already exist," she says, "but what is often missing is courageous leadership to implement them."

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Stick together and learn from each other

By Claudia Jordan

During the Women Leadership Programme in May 2024, around 20 women from African countries and Germany met again for a one-week workshop in Bavaria, Germany to become fit for leadership in their organisations. One topic that concerns the women across countries is climate change, but also violence against women and their discrimination in agriculture.

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African countries decide to tackle soil health challenges

A Contribution by GIZ

At the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit (AFSH), organized by the African Union (AU) and the Government of Kenya in May, the Nairobi Declaration was adopted. It aims to triple domestic production of organic and inorganic fertilizers by 2034 and to improve access and affordability for smallholder farmers. GIZ reviews the Summit.

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"Pandemic increases violence against women"

Interview with Léa Rouanet

African countries still face huge gender gaps in terms of access to work and capital. What are the consequences of Corona for women in Africa? Jan Rübel interviewed Léa Rouanet on lockdowns and gender-based violence. The economist works at the Africa Gender Innovation Lab of the World Bank.

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It all comes down to the young population

A contribution by Jan Rübel

What happens when young people leave the rural areas? How can the region achieve what is referred to as the demographic bonus – and how can it reap the benefits of the demographic dividend? A look at demography shows the following: What is most important is promoting women’s rights and education.

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Not waiting for a savior

An article by Lidet Tadesse

While Africa is the least affected region by Covid-19 so far, the number of confirmed cases and deaths on the continent is quickly rising. Despite the challenges many African countries continue to face, the African response to the coronavirus pandemic displays innovation and ingenuity.

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Developing countries hit doubly hard by coronavirus

A contribution by Gunter Beger (BMZ)

In most African countries, the infection COVID-19 is likely to trigger a combined health and food crisis. This means: In order to cope with this unprecedented crisis, consistently aligning our policies to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is more important than ever, our author maintains.

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Quinoa could have a huge potential in Central Asia, where the Aral Sea Basin has been especially hard-hit by salinisation.

Planetary Health: Recommendations for a Post-Pandemic World

A contribution by Dr. Kathleen Mar and Dr. Nicole de Paula

Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, health is receiving unprecedented public and political attention. Yet the fact that climate change is also affecting the environmental and social determinants of health in a profound and far-reaching way deserves further recognition.

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© GIZ

Actual Analysis: The locusts came with the crises

A report by Bettina Rudloff and Annette Weber (SWP)

The Corona-Virus exacerbates existing crises through conflict, climate, hunger and locusts in East Africa and the Horn of Africa. What needs to be done in these regions? To face these challenges for many countries, all of these crises need to be captured in their regional context.

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Côte d’Ivoire: The Future Starts With Food

A Contribution by GIZ

How nutrition trainer Edwige helps cocoa farmers in Côte d’Ivoire to prepare for a healthier future.

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Small cup, big impact

A Contribution by UFULU and GIZ

A menstrual health pilot in Rural Malawi empowers rural women in Agribusiness through hygiene products and helps to improve working conditions in rural areas.

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Scaling up Food Security

An Artikel by Jan Rübel

How can we reach more people with successful approaches to food security? In Berlin, an international conference organized by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationaler Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) addressed this issue.

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Felix Phiri and two decades of Agriculture

A Conversation with Felix Phiri

Felix Phiri has been Head of the Department of Nutrition, HIV and AIDS at the Ministry of Health in Malawi for almost 20 years. A conversation about constants and change.

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Ebay Against Hunger - How an App Supports Crop Sale of Rural Small Holders in Zambia

Small holders around the world are often forced to sell their harvests below market value due to a lack of market and pricing information. A new app by the UN World Food Programme (WFP) is going to change this.

A project of WFP

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Video: 4 Questions to Claudia Makdristo

A video clip by Seedstars

Startups are booming in African agriculture. What are the current trend and challenges – and can other regions benefit from innovative approaches? A Video-Interview with Claudia Makadristo, Regional Manager of Seedstars  

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(c) Joerg Boethling/GIZ

What it takes now

A contribution by Heike Baumüller

Artificial intelligence, big data and blockchain are the hottest topics of our time. The digital transformation of the African agricultural sector is ready for take-off. What will it take for the future of technology to hit the ground running?

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(c) Katapult/GIZ

The digitised farmyard

An interactive graphic Jan Rübel

Lots of apps are entering the market, but what really makes sense? For African agriculture, some of it seems like a gimmick, some like a real step forward. So this is what a smallholder farm in Africa could look like today - with the help of smartphones, internet and electricity. 

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Africa's digital disruption

Graphics

What Africa is experiencing in the course of digitisation is a disruption. Here three steps are taken in one, there you remain. In any case, the changes are enormous and bring some surprises. A graphic walk.

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(c) Christoph Pueschner/Zeitenspiegel

Can this end world hunger?

A report by Stig Tanzmann

Time to dig deeper: We can only benefit from technical progress if we have a solid legal framework for everybody. But so far, none is in sight - in many countries. Instead, international corporations grow ever more powerful.

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