ISSUES: WOMEN & CHILDREN

Pitt FeelGood 2011

WHO FEEDS OUR WORLD?

The barriers women face and how we are o v e r c o m in g them

BREAD MAKER VS. BREAD WINNER

Make up 60% of worlds hungry Provide 70% worlds agricultural labor

GENDER INEQUALIT Y limits access to: agricultural inputs Credit services A market to sell products

These constraints lead to: lower crop yields produce sold at lower prices less profit continued poverty and hunger

RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL?

Given an income, women invest most of their money on food, healthcare, and education for their families No income = Higher rate of girls kept out of school Minimal access to basic healthcare Higher HIV/AIDS prevalence Higher maternal mortality rates

OVERCOMING SYSTEMATIC BARRIERS

Empowering more women as change agents in local, regional, and national legislation In just 10 years, the amount of women holding seats in houses of national parliament in South Asia rose from 7 to 18 percent. Far from equal representationcurrently one woman for every 4 men in parliamentary houses

The Hunger Project (THP) recognizes the global gender imbalance of power and responsibility and empowers women to build their capacity and self-reliance as a way of overcoming obstacles.

THP firmly believes that empowering women to be key change agents is an essential element to achieving the end of hunger and poverty.

SO, WHAT DOES THE HUNGER PROJECT DO?

PROVIDE ACCESS TO MICROFINANCE.

At epicenters across Africa, thousands of women food farmers are increasing their incomes through the

training, credit and savings program

As of 2010: 45,000 women and men were participating in the Microfinance Program, Strengthening their presence in the marketplace

80% of loans distributed to women.

with over

EMPOWER ELECTED WOMEN REPRESENTATIVES.

More than 78,600 women who have been elected to their village councils have participated in THP Indias Womens Leadership Workshops They form district- and state-wide federations to ensure that their voices are heard at top levels of government.

Aparajita 2007 - Bihar

PROMOTE COMMUNIT Y LEADERSHIP ROLES FOR WOMEN.

THPs Womens Empowerment Program (WEP) empowers women to become strong leaders in their households and communities.
In Africa, every Epicenter Committee (a council that is elected to be responsible for all epicenter activities)

equal number of women and men.

must include an

CELEBRATE AND EMPOWER GIRL CHILDREN IN BANGLADESH.

THP helped create National Girl Child Day, a day to focus on eradicating all forms of discrimination against girl children In 2010, THPBangladesh gathered over one million people across the country to celebrate.

National Girl Child Day- September 30th

HALT THE SPREAD OF HIV/AIDS.

through education and awareness building: In 2003 THP launched the HIV/AIDS and Gender Inequality Campaign. African leaders confronted the gender issues fueling the spread of the disease designed workshops to empower grassroots people to transform the conditions that have led to the spread of HIV/AIDS. To date, more than 980,000 people have participated in the workshop.
Women in Uganda receiving anti-retroviral medicine

THP: Addressing the numerous sub-issues of the human population to find a solution to the greater problems of poverty and hunger.