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	Her Land. Her Rights: Advancing Gender Equality by UN Convention to Combat Desertification, agencies   June 2023   For more than 3 billion people, land is core to their survival, well-being, and dignity -- it is the principal asset of the rural poor.   Women make up around half of agricultural workers in developing countries and produce 60-80 per cent of food grown in these regions yet own less than one-fifth of all land worldwide.   When legal barriers to women owning and inheriting land are removed, women are able to make decisions on how to manage land, and both soil health and agricultural yields improve. Women are also more likely to invest in their family’s nutrition, health and education which benefits the whole of society.   UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw said: “Investing in women's equal access to land is not just an act of justice. It is an investment in our future, a commitment to the prosperity of our planet. It is an affirmation that we value not only the land beneath our feet, but the hands that work it.”   UNCCD analysis revealed in a new report; "Her Land. Her Rights: Advancing gender equality to restore land and build resilience" shows:   Despite comprising nearly half the world's agricultural workforce and producing up to 80 per cent of food in developing countries, women’s rights to inherit their husband’s property continue to be denied in over 100 countries.   Discriminatory practices related to land tenure, credit access, equal pay and decision-making often impede their active participation in sustaining land health. Today, less than one-in-five landholders worldwide are women.   If women had equal rights to land, agricultural production in the poorest regions would increase by up to 4 per cent and malnourishment would decline by 12–17 per cent, resulting in 150 million fewer hungry people globally.   Countries with more women parliamentarians prioritize women and girls’ role in land protection and are more likely to ratify relevant treaties and set aside land for conservation. Meanwhile, only 12 per cent of the 881 national environment-related ministries run by elected officials are led by women.   Widespread and rapid land degradation threatens rural livelihoods, food production, water availability, and biodiversity conservation worldwide.   When land is degraded and productive land becomes scarce, women are uniquely and differentially impacted due to their substantial role in land-based activities, greater vulnerability to poverty, and typically weaker legal protections and social status.   In areas affected by desertification and drought, increased competition for scarce productive resources makes women and girls extremely vulnerable to these slow onset hazards.   In many developing countries, agrifood systems are a more important source of income and livelihood for women than for men. One-third of women in the labour force are employed in agriculture and related supply chains.   Despite the economic importance of the land use sector and its contribution to family welfare, women’s roles tend to be marginalised, their working conditions comparatively poor, and their wages at 82 cents for every dollar earned by men.   Despite women’s vital role in food production, they are less likely than men to own and control land. Men have greater ownership and more secure tenure than women who globally comprise less than 13 per cent of agricultural landholders.   The percentage of men who have ownership or secure tenure rights over agricultural land is twice that of women in more than 40 per cent of the countries that have reported on women’s landownership.   Although most countries explicitly recognise women’s rights to own, manage, inherit, and use land as collateral on equal terms with men, in more than 100 countries, women are limited in claiming and protecting land assets because of customary, religious, or traditional laws and practices.   In addition to a lack of equal land rights, inequalities in access to other productive resources, information, financial services, appropriate technology, and decision-making limit women’s incentives and capacities to restore and sustainably manage soil, water, and biodiversity.   Conversely, more inclusive and responsible land governance that improves tenure security for women and girls can activate and accelerate the transition from degradation to restoration.   Millions of women and girls are at the forefront of the fight against desertification, land degradation, and drought, and leading many conservation, adaptation, and restoration efforts around the world.   There is also growing evidence that the benefits derived from gender equality in the control and access to land resources extend well beyond individual empowerment to providing much-needed security and stability in rural households and communities.   Women’s land rights and the perception of secure tenure can increase the capacity of women to invest in land, and encourage land stewardship and other measures that are critical to fight land degradation and cope with ever increasing climate shocks; empower women and girls through greater participation in household and community decision-making, thus improving the well-being of the whole family, including children’s nutrition and education; and boost the ability of women and girls to act autonomously and have more control over their future and that of their children.   http://www.unccd.int/resources/brief/her-land-her-rights-advancing-gender-equality-restore-land-and-build-resilience http://www.unccd.int/resources/publications/study-differentiated-impacts-desertification-land-degradation-and-drought http://plan-international.org/news/2023/06/19/african-women-leaders-demand-support/ http://reliefweb.int/report/ethiopia/african-women-leaders-urge-world-accelerate-support-women-and-girls-fighting-against-hunger http://stand4herland.org/ http://stand4herland.org/news_events/ http://www.landesa.org/land-tenure-a-cross-cutting-solution-for-poverty-climate-change-and-womens-rights/ http://www.landesa.org/resources-categories/issue-briefs/ http://policy-practice.oxfam.org/resources/grounding-womens-land-rights-towards-equity-and-climate-justice-621543/   http://odihpn.org/publication/the-gendered-impacts-of-the-climate-crisis-in-the-sahel-an-urgent-call-for-climate-resilient-livelihoods http://reliefweb.int/report/world/ocha-policy-brief-gendered-drivers-risks-and-impacts-food-insecurity-sahel-and-horn-africa http://wphfund.org/2023/06/13/globa-wphf-launches-first-ever-global-funding-appeal-supporting-women-working-at-the-forefront-of-the-fight-against-famine/ http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/cc5343en http://www.ohchr.org/en/statements/2023/06/un-experts-call-rights-based-approach-combat-desertification-land-degradation http://www.ifrc.org/document/extreme-heat-preparing-heat-waves-future http://actionaid.org/news/2023/fund-our-future   * UN WebTV: "Her Land. Her Rights: Advancing Gender Equality and Land Restoration Goals" discussion focusing on policies and actions needed to advance women's land rights and promote stronger female leadership and decision-making power in sustainable land management: http://tinyurl.com/2p8n5355 Visit the related web page
	Millions of women and girls around the world are stigmatised simply because they menstruate by UNFPA, agencies   May 2023   Millions of women and girls around the world are stigmatised, excluded and discriminated against simply because they menstruate. It’s not acceptable that because of a natural bodily function women and girls continue to be prevented from getting an education, earning an income and fully and equally participating in everyday life.   Menstrual Health and Hygiene is essential to the well-being and empowerment of women and adolescent girls. On any given day, more than 300 million women worldwide are menstruating.   Yet, an estimated 500 million women and adolescent girls lack access to menstrual products and adequate facilities for menstrual hygiene management.   Menstrual health is a human rights issue – not just a health one. Poor menstrual health and hygiene undercuts fundamental rights – including the right to work and go to school – for women and girls who menstruate. It worsens social and economic inequalities.   Insufficient resources to manage menstruation, as well as patterns of exclusion and shame, undermine human dignity.   Gender inequality, extreme poverty, humanitarian crises and harmful traditions can all turn menstruation into a time of deprivation and stigma, which can undermine the enjoyment of fundamental human rights.   Period poverty describes the struggle many low-income women and girls face while trying to afford menstrual products. The term also refers to the increased economic vulnerability women and girls face due the financial burden posed by menstrual supplies, and also related costs such as pain medication and underwear.   Period poverty does not only affect women and girls in developing countries; it also affects women in wealthy, industrialized countries.   Difficulty affording menstrual products can cause girls to stay home from school and work, with lasting consequences on their education and economic opportunities.   Lack of access to the right menstrual products can lead to a greater health risk. In some cases, women and girls do not have access to menstrual products at all. They may have to resort to rags, leaves, newspaper or other makeshift items to deal with menstrual blood. They may also be prone to leaks, contributing to shame or embarrassment. Women and girls living in extreme poverty and in humanitarian crises may be more likely to face these challenges.   When girls and women have access to safe and affordable sanitary materials to manage their menstruation, they decrease their risk of infections. This can have cascading effects on overall sexual and reproductive health, including reducing teen pregnancy, maternal outcomes, and fertility.   Poor menstrual hygiene, however, can pose serious health risks, like reproductive and urinary tract infections which can result in future infertility and birth complications.   Menstrual taboos have existed, and still exist, in many cultures. Around the world and throughout history, misconceptions about menstruation have led to women’s and girls’ exclusion from all kinds of roles and settings.   Some communities believe women and girls can spread misfortune or impurity during menstruation. As a result, they may face restrictions on their day-to-day behavior, including prohibitions on attending religious ceremonies, visiting religious spaces, handling food or sleeping in the home.   The myth that menstruation limits women’s physical or mental abilities persists. Women may face degrading comments about menstruation affecting their physical or emotional states. They may be excluded from certain roles or positions of leadership.   In many places around the world, a girl’s first period, called menarche, is believed to be a sign that she is ready for marriage, sexual activity and childbirth. This leaves girls vulnerable to a host of abuses, including child marriage, sexual violence or coercion, and early pregnancy. While menstruation is one indication of biological fertility, it does not mean girls have reached mental, emotional, psychological or physical maturity.   To effectively manage their menstruation, girls and women require affordable and appropriate menstrual hygiene materials, access to water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, information on good practices, and a supportive environment where they can manage menstruation without embarrassment or stigma.   Global and national health and development policies should prioritize menstrual health, with investment reflecting the important role it plays in human rights, public health, gender equality and sustainable development.   Schools, workplaces and public institutions should ensure that women and girls can manage menstruation with comfort and dignity.   Policies should seek to eliminate period poverty, in which low-income women and girls struggle to afford menstrual products and have limited access to water and sanitation services.   Human rights are rights that every human being has by virtue of his or her human dignity. Menstruation is intrinsically related to human dignity – when women and girls cannot access safe bathing facilities and safe and effective means of managing their menstrual hygiene, they are not able to manage their menstruation with dignity. Menstruation-related teasing, exclusion and shame also undermine the principle of human dignity.   Gender inequality, extreme poverty, humanitarian crises and harmful traditions can all turn menstruation into a time of deprivation and stigma, which can undermine the enjoyment of fundamental human rights.   Below is a list of universally agreed human rights that can be undermined by women’s and girls’ treatment during menstruation:   The right to health - Women and girls may experience negative health consequences when they lack the supplies and facilities to manage their menstrual health. Stigma associated with menstruation can also prevent women and girls from seeking treatment for menstruation-related disorders or pain, adversely affecting their enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health and well-being.   The right to education - Lack of a safe place or ability to manage menstrual hygiene as well as lack of medication to treat menstruation-related pain can all contribute to higher rates of school absenteeism and poor educational outcomes. Some studies have confirmed that when girls are unable to adequately manage menstruation in school, their school attendance and performance suffer.   The right to work - Poor access to safe means of managing menstrual hygiene and lack of medication to treat menstruation-related disorders or pain also limit job opportunities for women and girls. They may refrain from taking certain jobs, or they may be forced to forgo working hours and wages. Menstruation-related needs, such as bathroom breaks, may be penalized, leading to unequal working conditions. And women and girls may face workplace discrimination related to menstruation taboos.   The right to non-discrimination and gender equality - Stigmas and norms related to menstruation can reinforce discriminatory practices. Menstruation-related barriers to school, work, health services and public activities also perpetuate gender inequalities.   The right to water and sanitation - Water and sanitation facilities, such as bathing facilities, that are private, safe and culturally acceptable, along with a sufficient, safe and affordable water supply are basic prerequisites for managing menstrual health management.   While it is true that menstruation is experienced in the bodies of women and girls, menstrual health issues are human rights issues, and therefore of importance to society as a whole. This means that men and boys must be involved in conversations about gender equality and promoting positive masculinities aiming to eliminate menstruation-associated stigma and discrimination.   http://www.unfpa.org/events/menstrual-hygiene-day http://www.unfpa.org/resources/unfpa-unhcr-menstrual-hygiene-management-kit-mhm http://news.un.org/en/story/2023/05/1137067 http://www.unicef.org/senegal/en/stories/menstruation-shouldnt-get-way-girls-education http://www.unicef.org/jordan/stories/breaking-cycle-silence-menstruation-matters http://www.unicef.org/rosa/topics/menstruation http://www.ipsnews.net/2023/05/menstrual-health-hygiene-unaffordable-poor-girls-women-latin-america/ http://theconversation.com/dirty-red-how-periods-have-been-stigmatised-through-history-to-the-modern-day-206967 http://www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2022/07/removing-shame-and-stigma-menstruation Visit the related web page
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