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From
CGIAR Initiative on National Policies and Strategies
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Published on
14.12.23
On December 6, 2023, took place the third webinar, carried within the framework of the National Policies and Strategies (NPS) initiative in Colombia, in collaboration with the University of the Andes “Climate Disasters, Gender, and Poverty: Towards an Inclusive Reduction of Disaster Risk in Bolivia” During this seminar, Luis Escalante, a researcher at IFPRI, presented the study as part of the course “Policy Analysis Tools using General Equilibrium Models for Colombia” The study, based on social accounting matrices and household surveys, introduced a dynamic computable general equilibrium (CGE) model. The results highlight the negative impact of climate disasters on Bolivia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with a contraction of 1.5%. Additionally, an increase in food prices, a decrease in consumption, and an increase in poverty, particularly affecting women, were observed.
Despite investments in reconstruction that have improved overall macroeconomic indicators, the effectiveness in reducing poverty and gender inequality remains limited. It is suggested that a combination of mitigation policies is more efficient than independent approaches.
An inclusive strategy to mitigate the impacts of climate disasters is emphasized, involving a combination of short-term cash transfers and long-term production subsidies. These results underscore the need for comprehensive and gender-sensitive approaches when addressing the impacts of climate disasters and developing effective mitigation policies.
During the seminar, Maria Olga Peña Mariño, Deputy Director of Production and Rural Development at the National Planning Department, shared projects, strategies, and challenges faced by the Colombian government regarding gender in the agricultural sector.
The Colombian government’s experience in the agricultural sector highlights the importance of adopting comprehensive and combined policies to reduce gender gaps. The Rural Woman Law 735 of 2002, despite challenges, has been crucial in recognizing rural women as subjects of protection and investment.
The creation of the Rural Women’s Fund has facilitated the participation of women in the rural economy, strengthening them as significant actors in the field. Despite challenges in its operation, this fund has allowed women to propose projects, contributing to economic inclusion.
The gender focus in the 2016 Peace Agreement and Integral Rural Reform emphasizes the mainstreaming of the rural woman’s vision in the agricultural sector. Prioritizing women in land allocation and income generation seeks equity between men and women, with an emphasis on recognizing care work as a crucial activity in the rural economy.
In recent decades, care work has been recognized as an activity in the rural economy, providing the opportunity to finance business plans for rural women that include care components. Finally, it is emphasized that challenges persist, such as the unpaid burden of care activities falling on rural women, limiting their ability to receive fair compensation for their work, with a 36% increase in responsibilities and a 3.4 times difference in the total burden. Reducing this gender gap requires a continuous commitment to ensuring the effective implementation of inclusive policies and recognizing the fundamental role of women in agriculture.
You can revisit the webinar at the following link:
On February 7, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. Colombia time, the fourth and final virtual seminar will take place with the participation of Karl Pauw, lead researcher in the Policy Modeling and Forecasting Unit at IFPRI, who co-leads the country modeling team and works on a wide range of agricultural and development policy issues. Additionally, in March, the second part and conclusion of the course will be presented. More information will be provided soon.
Author:
Johana Castillo, Research Associate, Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT)
This work is part of the CGIAR Research Initiative on National Policies and Strategies (NPS). CGIAR launched NPS with national and international partners to build policy coherence, respond to policy demands and crises, and integrate policy tools at national and subnational levels in countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. CGIAR centers participating in NPS are The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (Alliance Bioversity-CIAT), International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), International Water Management Institute (IWMI), International Potato Center (CIP), International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), and WorldFish. We would like to thank all funders who supported this research through their contributions to the CGIAR Trust Fund.