FAO launches project to enhance gender equality in Amolatar

AMOLATAR-The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations [ FAO ] has launched a flagship project to end gender inequality and boost food security in Ugandan households.

The pilot project, Dimitra Clubs Approach in Uganda was launched yesterday in Akwon Sub-county, Amolatar district.

The six months project worth Shs 83 million is aimed at enhancing engagement, empowerment, and gender equality as well as championing and galvanising development within the communities, according to FAO.

“We are cognisant with the fact that there is gender inequality in the community and a lot of imbalances which affect women, girls, and vulnerable people in realising their potential in agriculture,” said Nancy Apio, a gender specialist at FAO Uganda.

Apio said they want to limit food insecurity in the area and that Dimitra clubs is one of the initiatives under FAO gender equality and the women empowerment programme that works towards engaging the communities to identify their problems and the solutions.

She added the idea of selecting Akwon is based on a very low poverty index and challenges the communities are facing and She said they are looking forward to engaging the community to mobilise themselves to identify the problems hindering them from benefitting from agriculture.

Speaking at the launch of the project, Grace Namoya, an official from FAO, said a total of 210, 000 women in Sub-Africa are engaged in the Dimitra clubs.

The countries include Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, DR Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal.

She said the impact of the project has been assessed in areas that include food security and nutrition, gender equality and women leadership, resilience, peace, and climate change adaptation among others.

She said it was estimated that over 6mln rural people benefitted from Dimitra clubs initiative due to its holistic impact, approach integrated as a field component in more than 50 FAO and UN joint projects.

https://thecooperator.news/food-loss-and-waste-could-undermine-ugandas-development-fao-warns/

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