Page 31 - Azerbaijan State University of Economics

Mbu Daniel Tambi, Mah-Soh Glennice Fosah: Econometric Modelling of Women
Empowerment and Agricultural Production in Cameroon

Nonetheless, women’s role in the economy has often been underestimated, and their
work in agriculture has long been invisible. Even though their contributions to social
development have remained invisible in many countries of the world, it has been
established that women contribute immensely to development through their productive
activities (UN, 2010).Accordingly, it has been generally accepted that global food
security is dependent on the work of rural women, as they are the major producers of
food crops across the globe (IFAD, 2007).However, policy makers have often targeted
population, health and nutrition programmes to women in their reproductive roles, but
neglected them as productive agents. This situation however is changing with the
growing evidence that income in the hands of women contributes more to household
food security and child nutrition. Such knowledge about women’s key role in
agricultural production is essential to enhance their potential (Agnes et al., 1995).

The International Labour Organization (ILO) regards the gender issue as a universal
matter which must be addressed in all international labour law sand conventions as well
as in the recommendations and resolutions of the International Labour Conference
(ILO, 2012). According to the ILO, women encounter difficulties in the four pillars
which underpin the concept of social protection, rights in the workplace, creation of
employment and social dialogue. The ILO has various instruments at its disposal for
promoting both equality between men and women and the fight against discrimination.
These include the Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention of 1958
(ILO, 2012).It also has the ‘Bureau for Gender Equality’ to deal specifically with gender
issues in the workplace. As regards actions for promoting non-discrimination in the
rural domain, the ILO has launched various programs to highlight the importance of
addressing gender issues within this sector. Firstly because discrimination against
women constitutes a violation of human rights and secondly, because otherwise it will
never be possible to eradicate extreme poverty (ILO, 2012).

In addition, the UN General Assembly has, on various occasions, acknowledged the
pivotal role played by rural women in agricultural production, food security and the
eradication of poverty. Amongst the resolutions approved by the UN General Assembly
concerning the situation of rural women, it is worth highlighting A/RES/62/136 which
calls on Member States to improve the situation of rural women by ensuring their political
and socioeconomic empowerment and mainstreaming the gender perspective in the rural
ambit into the planning, application, monitoring and assessment of development policies,
as well as ensuring that rural women have access to social services. This resolution gave
rise to the proclamation of 15th October as the annual International Day of Rural Women’
(Resolutions A/RES/ 54/135 of 7 February 2000). Since its creation in 2010, the UN
Women Entity has also focused on the promotion of rural women.

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