70pc of world's hungry are women but they produce over half of food

Women account for 70 percent of the world's hungry, and are disproportionately affected by malnutrition, yet they are responsible for more than half of the global food production, said the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Hilal Elver.

"Faced with discrimination on multiple levels, women's right to access food is affected at all stages. Women in many countries receive less food than their male partners, as a result of their lower social status," said Elver, launching her latest report to the UN Human Rights Council.

The expert said social segregation based on gender, when combined with other forms of discrimination grounded on religion, race, ethnicity, class and caste, impeded the developments of women even further, according to a message received from Geneva.

"Despite their critical contribution to world food and agricultural production, women face difficulties in maintaining household incomes due to increased competition with imported agricultural goods, reduced prices, and declining commodity prices in international market, as well as in engaging in market activities when cultural norms make it socially unacceptable to interact with men," she said.

"Migrant women workers with precarious immigration status and ethnic minority women are particularly vulnerable," added the special rapporteur.

"Closing the gender gap in agriculture requires the development of gender-sensitive policies. Ensuring land rights, reinforcing the rights of girls and women to education and social protection and increasing women's participation in decision-making in a meaningful manner are critical," she said.

"Increasing women's access to and control over assets has been shown to have positive effects on important human development outcomes, including household food security, child nutrition, education and women's well-being and status within the home and community," she added.

On International Women's Day, the special rapporteur encouraged states to focus on gender-sensitive policies in all fields, particularly in the context of climate change, in order to achieve further improvements in women's access to their right to food.

"Respecting, protecting and fulfilling women's rights will inevitably solve broader problems in food systems in general and can help communities achieve improved development outcomes," concluded Elver.