Gender Mainstreaming Policy and Strategy in Agriculture

Development Plan I and II (SEDP I&II), Cambodia Millennium Development Goals (CMDGs) and Rectangle Strategy (July 2004), have addressed several mechanisms concerning the enhancement of gender equality and the reduction of gender gaps. In declaring the commitment to the implementation of the above national strategies, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, in close cooperation with the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and after extensive consultations with stakeholders at national and provincial levels, developed the Policy and Strategy for Gender Mainstreaming in the agriculture sector. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) has four objectives in its gender mainstreaming strategy for the agriculture sector to be achieved by 2010 in order to address poverty reduction and gender equality. The four objectives are: (i) increase the gender awareness of ministry staff in the MAFF at every level of the agriculture sector, (ii) integration of gender analysis and sex disaggregated targets and data into the planning of the agriculture sector, (iii) increase the authoritative possibilities and number of women that have the adequate attributes necessary for leadership positions in the MAFF, (iv) increase the ability of rural women to access and manage resources and agricultural services. Regarding the reduction of rural poverty, a number of key strategies will be implemented by the policy in order to increase the ability of rural women to access and manage resources and agricultural services, including: (i) assistance to the process of social land concession (SLC) ensuring both women and men benefit, (ii) enhancing the capacity of rural women to participate in the private sectors, (iii) increase the awareness of poor/female headed households of various programs concerning food security, (iv) improving the opportunities for women farmers to participate in villages/community groups, (v) facilitating the access of women to credit services, (vi) improving extension services to both women and men and (vii) conducting workshops and study tours in order to improve rural women’s access to resources. In addition, the policy plans also to increase in gender awareness for MAFF staff at all levels in the agriculture sector. Strategies to be implementing include: (i) introduction gender sensitivity to all new recruits in MAFF, (ii) facilitation of retraining on gender issues to existing MAFF staff, (iii) identification of means to engender agricultural issues through mass media, (iv) integration of gender issues into the curriculum of agriculture education institutions. Finally, the Government will increase in the authoritative possibilities and number of women who have the adequate attributes necessary for leadership positions in the MAFF. The key strategies will include facilitating and advocating the recruitment of more women in MAFF, provision of at least equal opportunities between women and men in promotion, facilitating the preparation of job description /ToR reflecting gender concern, facilitating the increased participation of women in management training, facilitating the increased participation of women in technical training. In the context of governance, in the first stage of gender mainstreaming the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) will integrate the Policy and Strategy on Gender Mainstreaming into its mid-term and long-term strategic plans. The Gender Unit will facilitate and monitor the implementation of the policy.18 The GU has the responsibility to advise and help facilitate gender mainstreaming in various agricultural programs and projects. The GU is also responsible for monitoring and evaluating whether MAFF’s departments and units are implementing the policy and strategy in accordance with their annual plan and budgets, as the implementation of the policy and strategy rests in MAFF.