Women play critical roles in food security: speakers

Women play critical roles in ensuring food security and proper nutrition of families. But despite their contribution, women are common victims to malnutrition, unhealthy food consumption, and lack of accessibility to necessary healthcare services, experts at a virtual dialogue said on Thursday

It is therefore essential to recognise the position and challenges of women and formulate action plans to ensure a sustainable and inclusive food system for society, said a press release.

The event was organised by CARE Bangladesh in association with Brac, UNFPA, UN Women, and Wave Foundation.

The event was attended by government officials, development practitioners, academicians, experts, and media professionals.

Speakers at the session stressed on the importance of women's access to agricultural input and services, ownership, and control over assets and products to improve the current status of women in the food system.

In his welcome remarks, Ramesh Singh, country director of CARE Bangladesh, noted that more than 90 percent of family farms are dependent on their family members' labour -- both men and women.

Khaja Abdul Hannan, additional secretary of the food ministry, said, "The government has undertaken policies and programmes to ensure food and income security to women."

AKM Monirul Alam, director at the Department of Agricultural Extension; Dr Nazneen Ahmed, senior research fellow of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS); and Dr Mohammad Mainul Islam, faculty of population sciences at Dhaka University also attended the discussion as key speakers.