A PLATFORM TO UNIFY STRUGGLES FOR ALL HUMAN RIGHTS

In Africa as in other regions of the world, it is the seed systems women value and maintain that form the bedrock of food and nutrition security for families and communities. However, their resilience in fulfilling multiple and crucial roles are not only challenged by persistent gender inequality and religious fundamentalism, but also by the impact of migration, conflict and HIV/AIDS. The current emphasis on industrialising African agriculture will result in large scale dispossession of seed, land and water and so undermine women’s rights in a way that will have a devastating impact on future generations.

The piece "African Food Sovereignty: Valuing Women and the Seeds they Keep" argues that, to ensure continued access to seeds and land, we need to pay attention not only to gender equality but also to the intergenerational impacts of patriarchy.