Ecofeminism, Food & Social Justice 5 | Hilal Elver, Graciela Romero

Hilal Elver, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food

Title: “Gender differentiated policies and right to nutritious food in times of climate change “

Climate change is a major threat to food security and stumbling block to eliminate hunger and malnutrition. It is now widely acknowledged that climate change impacts will not be gender-neutral. Women are particularly vulnerable to climate outcomes if they are already living in under stressed vulnerable geographies, occupying a multitude of roles, including heads of house-holds, caregivers, and subsistence farmers. Moreover, they play role in a wide range of activities that can support sustainable agricultural development, such as soil and water conservation, afforestation and crop domestication that are vital elements of adaptation and mitigation policies.

As climate change magnifies existing inequalities, global consensus has recognized that the integration of women’s rights and gender equality into to climate change policies is not only essential but maximizes the efficacy of interventions, programs and resources. The successful implementation of climate change policies requires an understanding of the gender-based roles vis-à-vis natural resources, as well as the gender-differentiated impacts of climate change.

About the speaker: Hilal Elver is the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Right to Food since June 2014. She is an international law professor and Global Distinguished Fellow at the UCLA Law School Resnick Food Law and Policy Center, as well as a research professor at the UC Santa Barbara. Her publications focus on environmental law, climate change, food security, human rights and women rights. Her book on Peaceful Uses of International Rivers; The Euphrates and Tigris Transboundary River Basins published in 2002; Headscarf Controversy: Secularism and Freedom of Religion published by Oxford University in 2012; Her most recent co-edited book with Paul Wapner is Reimagining Climate Change published in 2016 by Routledge Press.

Graciela Romero

Title: “Women defending the territory and natural resources”

In this presentation, Graciela aims to bring to the fore women’s voices in the struggle to retain sovereignty, protect livelihoods and food production for rural and urban areas in Catamarca, Peru, in the face of plundering of resource extraction. This is a struggle rooted in the values of relatedness, complementarity, correspondence, reciprocity and cyclicality, which are the core of the Andean philosophy ‘Buen Vivir’ (living well). The women’s account of their unity and respect for mother earth (Pachamama) against the brutal repression by armed forces attempting to silence opposition to mineral extraction, bring these values to life. It also shows that within the Andean philosophy, the concept of western development has no place, it goes against life.

About the speaker: Graciela Romero is doctorate researcher at the Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience at Coventry University. Previously she worked for seven years as the Director of International Programmes at War on Want. She has 18 years of working experience in the development and humanitarian sector at local, national and international level. She has sectoral experience on food systems, food sovereignty, natural resource extraction, workers’ rights (in the formal and informal sector) and indigenous knowledge. She has direct experience of grassroots and community organising with peasants, women and indigenous groups using participatory methodologies in the UK and countries in Africa and Latin America. Graciela has extensive knowledge and practical experience of programme management cycle in the areas of development, humanitarian assistance and campaigning. She served as Co-Chair of the London Mining Network, Chair of the Latin America Women’s Aid, Co-chair of the UK Food Group and is actively engaged in the food sovereignty movement.