Report on the Third International Meeting on Gender Equity in the banana industry

FAO;

Report on the Third International Meeting on Gender Equity in the banana industry

Year of publication 2024

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 22 p.

Author FAO;

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Meeting

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Synopsis (short abstract) The Third International Meeting on Gender Equity in the Banana Industry was held on Monday, 11 March 2024, at FAO Headquarters, Rome, Italy. This full-day event was structured around four sessions featuring a wide range of panelists from various stakeholder group and organizations. It provided a unique opportunity for industry stakeholders to exchange knowledge about the issues affecting women in the banana industry and reaffirm their commitment to promoting gender equity, enhancing women’s employment and access to leadership roles, and eliminating gender-based violence and harassment in the workplace. Proposals and recommendations from panelists and the audience helped prepare a draft action plan for the GE-TF to be achieved by 2030. Recommendations included: ensuring active participation by women in dialogues and restructuring relevant WBF commissions to bolster their involvement; advocating for political awareness and advocacy efforts at governmental levels to prioritize women’s issues and promote gender equity; fostering collaboration among stakeholders to increase women’s employment and establishing support facilities such as healthcare and childcare; implementing education and training programs on gender-specific issues; advocating for the ratification of ILO Convention 190; and investing in the younger generation through education to instill values of gender equity from an early age.

Last updated 09/08/2024

Statutory body / Meeting title N/A

Meeting symbol N/A

Meeting Session Number Sess. 4

Meeting date 11 March 2024

Meeting location Rome, Italy

Language English

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The Third Global Conference of the World Banana Forum (WBF) was held at the International Conference Centre Geneva (CICG) in Geneva, Switzerland, on 8 and 9 November 2017. Over 300 persons representing a wide range of stakeholders from 38 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, Europe and North America were registered for the event with an interest in engaging in discussions on important issues in the global banana industry, including collaboration, gender, business and technical concerns. The participants represented governments, relevant international organizations, importers, exporters, retailers, producer organizations, trade unions, civil society organizations and research institutes. Two important events preceded the Third Global Conference of the WBF, namely, (1) the Multi-Stakeholder Meeting on Gender Equity in the Banana Industry and (2) the 13th Meeting of the Steering Committee of the WBF, both held on 7 November 2017. A side event on Combatting Fusarium Wilt TR4 was held on 10 November 2017, following the end of the Global Conference. This report provides a summary of the key outcomes and discussions that took place during the panel sessions on 8 and 9 November 2017.
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Women in the Banana Export Industry. Regional Report on Latin America.
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Also available in:

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Women in the Banana Export Industry Regional Report on Latin America is part of a global report on the economic aspects of gender issues in the banana sector. It is based on research conducted in Colombia, Ecuador, Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua with a primary focus on the situation for hired labour and analyses levels of women’s employment in the region and the key challenges for women workers. The report will inform the work of the World Banana Forum1. The average proportion of women employ ed in the Latin American banana industry is 12.5%, although this varies within and between countries. A key reason for this low rate of women's employment in the sector is the limited access of women to the whole range of work tasks on the plantation. Women tend to be restricted to work in the 'more controlled environment' of the packing shed in part due to the gender stereotyping of women. Many field tasks are perceived to be too technically difficult or too physically demanding for women to un dertake but tend to be better paid. Women are viewed primarily as domestic actors and childcare providers. The occupational health and safety risks for women identified are particularly those related to the effects of agrochemical exposure on reproductive health. Other problems faced by women workers are sexual harassment, discrimination when pregnant, a lack of childcare provision and the additional burdens faced by women managing childcare, domestic duties and in some cases, trade union activi ty. A lack of access to training (in skills required to undertake field tasks) is an obstacle to women accessing employment. It is recommended that women are consulted to assess which tasks they can do and that this learning could inform guidance for employers. The initiatives led by women trade unionists throughout the region are highlighted as some examples of best practice in terms of increasing and improving employment for women. Company practices to improve women’s treatment in the workplac e, such as the only sexual harassment policy in the region (adopted by Chiquita), are also assessed. It is noted that the socio economic impact of the low proportion of women’s employment, especially given the high rate of women as single heads of household, requires analysis. The report concludes by recommending the World Banana Forum as a multi stakeholder environment in which (the Women’s Secretariats of) independent trade unions and companies can work together to develop and share strategies to increase the provision of Decent Work for women in the banana sector.