Welkomstwoord Side Event, Netwerk vrouwelijke landbouwministers CDS16 (Engelstalig)

Toespraak | 16-05-2008

Madam Chair, colleagues and other participants,

Let me first thank the organizers for their kind invitation and of course for initiating this inspiring Network of women's leaders of agriculture.
I didn't hesitate to accept your invitation.
I fully subscribe to your call to enhance the representation and involvement of women in decision-making processes in the areas of agriculture and rural development.

Women are the main producers of staple crops, they are the custodians of natural and productive resources and they are instigators of activities that generate agricultural and non-agricultural income.
Women play therefore a key role in sustainable development, especially in agriculture.
However, they are often excluded from decision and policy-making processes and they are lacking access to land and other natural resources.
It is time for change.
It is time to give women their equal rights and a voice in this crucial sector, be it at local, national or international level.
You can rest assured that as the Netherlands' minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, I am committed to support this process wherever I can.

Since the Beijing World Conference in 1995, the Netherlands has integrated the need for women's empowerment and the concept of gender mainstreaming more systematically in national policies.
Gender mainstreaming implies the re-organization, development and improvement of policy processes in such a way that gender equality can be achieved and integrated in the policies of government.
This doesn't only mean that as the Government we should ensure that others take into account a gender perspective, promote women's rights and strive for gender equality, but this also applies to policies and institutions of the Government itself.

From 2004 until 2007 the Commission on Emancipation has monitored and assessed the process of gender mainstreaming at the different ministries in The Netherlands, including my own Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality.
One of the positive outcomes of their assessment is that the Ministry works in a constructive way on diversity, interactive policy-making and gender equality.
I attach great importance to involve multiple stakeholders, including women, in sustainable innovations in agriculture and rural development.
More concrete activities are being undertaken.
First, the themes of gender and diversity will be further strengthened within our main themes of Food, Rural Areas, Nature and Sustainable Entrepreneurship.
Therefore we will select several projects and programs in which gender will be part of our overall multi-stakeholder and diversity approach.

Secondly, the Ministry will develop a community of practice where stakeholders and experts will exchange experiences on gender and diversity within policies.

Thirdly, we are looking into possibilities to integrate diversity and gender in the training of staff members at the Ministry.

Finally, the Ministry will actively stimulate the appointment of women on management levels.

I know these are small steps and there is a long way to go to ensure that the voice of women is being heard and that the needs of for example women farmers are seriously taking into account.
But, I still believe in the concept of "leading by example".

This is also what I hope the new Network will achieve. Let us work together to create an enabling environment in which women can participate fully in decision and policy-making processes in the areas of agriculture and rural development.