In 2014, the Inspection and Evaluation Division of the Office of Internal Oversight Services undertook an evaluation of UN Women’s normative work. The objective of the evaluation was to determine, as systematically and objectively as possible, the relevance and effectiveness of UN Women in achieving its mandate in support of gender equality through normative support work and its link with operational activities.

Gender equality is central to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) mandate to achieve food security for all by raising levels of nutrition, improving agricultural productivity and natural resource management, and improving the lives of rural populations. FAO can achieve its goals only if it simultaneously works towards gender equality and supports women’s diverse roles in agriculture and rural development.

This report explores how gender equality can contribute to food security. The report describes the relationship between gender-based discrimination and the different channels through which households and individuals access food. It concludes that while equality of treatment between women and men and food security are mutually supportive, gender equality remains an elusive goal in many regions, and a transformation of traditional gender roles is urgently needed.

This publication is intended for Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) staff and other development practitioners. The publication records experiences gained and good practices identified by participants, and summarizes the lessons learned by drawing on the experiences of smallholder female farmers in India. The publication also documents the models that make SEWA of India an exemplary organization in addressing grass-roots issues using a needs-based, capacity-development approach.

Promoting decent employment is essential to achieving food security and reducing poverty. This Case for Action argues that improving policy coherence between employment and agricultural initiatives and investing more in the promotion of decent rural employment contribute highly to the interlinked challenges of fighting rural poverty and feeding a growing world population in a sustainable way.

The present report, submitted pursuant to General Assembly resolution 64/140, reviews the activities undertaken by Member States and United Nations entities to empower rural women and contains recommendations for consideration by the Assembly.

The State of Food and Agriculture 2010–11 makes the "business case" for addressing gender issues in agriculture and rural employment. The agriculture sector is underperforming in many developing countries, in part because women do not have equal access to the resources and opportunities they need to be more productive. Promoting gender equality is not only good for women; it is also good for agricultural development.

Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on the topic of women in rural areas.

The Rural Poverty Report 2011 provides a coherent and comprehensive look at rural poverty, its consequences and the prospects for eradicating it. The report contains updated estimates by International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) regarding how many rural poor people there are in the developing world, poverty rates in rural areas, and the percentage of poor people residing in rural areas.

This report is the result of a collaborative effort of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) team working on the Gender Dimension of Rural Employment. It discusses key issues related to gender equality and rural employment in the context of poverty reduction. It presents various policy responses, empirical data and good practices.

The present report, submitted pursuant to General Assembly resolution 62/136, reviews the activities undertaken by Member States and United Nations entities to empower rural women and improve their situation and contains recommendations for consideration by the Assembly.

The present report is the sixth World Survey on the Role of Women in Development. In its resolution 59/248, the General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to update the World Survey in 2009. In its resolution 60/210, the Assembly decided that the theme for the survey would be “women’s control over economic resources and access to financial resources, including microfinance”.

Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on the topic of women in rural areas.

The present report responds to General Assembly resolution 60/138. It reviews the activities undertaken by Member States and United Nations entities to improve the situation of women in rural areas, including by addressing the empowerment of rural women. Recommendations for consideration by the Assembly are provided.