Rome — The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP) together marked International Women’s Day 2025 at an event today, reiterating their strong commitment to the empowerment of women and girls, particularly in the context of the fight against hunger.
The three UN Rome-based agencies met under this year’s theme, “For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment” to underscore the importance of ensuring meaningful change and support that allows every person around the world to thrive.
International Women’s Day is a global day to commemorate and uphold women’s achievements and raise awareness about the challenges they face. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the most widely endorsed blueprint for women’s and girls’ rights worldwide.
Since 1995, the world has seen progress for women and girls, notably the establishment of legal reforms that protect women from violence and discrimination, an increase in women’s representation in political and decision-making positions, strides towards women’s financial inclusion, and improved access to education and health facilities.
However, the global prevalence of food insecurity remains consistently higher among women than among men and the world is not on track to reach any of the global nutrition targets by 2030.
The Rome-based agencies come together annually for the International Women’s Day event to demonstrate their joint commitment to promoting equality and women’s empowerment which is crucial when it comes to tackling poverty and food insecurity, and building resilient and sustainable agrifood systems that benefit everyone.
“Women play a critical role in agrifood systems, yet they face persistent barriers to accessing resources, technology and opportunities. At FAO, we strongly believe that closing these gaps is not just a matter of fairness, but an economic imperative,” said FAO Assistant Director-General and Chief Scientist ad interim, Beth Crawford.
“Women’s economic empowerment is crucial for a broad array of development goals and for ensuring their own resilience, the resilience of their communities, and more sustainable food systems,” said Gérardine Mukeshimana, IFAD’s Vice-President. “Investing in women is not just the right thing to do; it is an essential element for improving food security, reducing poverty, and achieving prosperity in rural communities.”
“Women and girls are disproportionately affected by conflict and disasters,” said Valerie Guarnieri, WFP Assistant Executive Director. “WFP works to ensure they have access to nutritious food and to build their resilience to withstand future shocks. When we invest in women and girls, we nurture families and communities. We can win the battle against hunger and malnutrition by supporting women to take the lead.”
Ahead of International Women’s Day on 8 March, FAO, IFAD and WFP reaffirm their commitment to empowering women and girls worldwide with the objective of building a more resilient, and sustainable future for all.
FAO leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition and food security. FAO provides policy and technical assistance to developing countries and countries in transition to modernize and improve agriculture, forestry, and fisheries practices.
IFAD invests in rural people, empowering them to enhance their livelihoods and strengthen their communities. By expanding market access, building resilience and fostering inclusive rural economies, IFAD aims to transform agriculture and food systems, enabling rural populations to overcome poverty and achieve sustainable development.
WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters, and the impact of climate change.
