Promoting Gender Equality in Foreign Agricultural Investments

Second, it attempts to answer the question “Do VSSs improve gender equality?” And third, it aims to explore how the responsible investment frameworks can build on the successes and failures of the VSSs to improve gender equality in agricultural investment projects. [...] The research is based on a desk review of the certification criteria and principles of five major VSS initiatives and five responsible investment frameworks, a literature review of the impacts of VSS initiatives on gender inequalities, and a close reading of policy reports and scholarly literature on the main obstacles to gender equality in agriculture, particularly in contexts of foreign direct i [...] The purpose is to demonstrate how, and to what extent, these initiatives include criteria and principles that acknowledge the need for women and men to enjoy equal rights and benefits in agriculture. [...] Both the 4C Code of Conduct and the Fairtrade Standard for Hired Labour make explicit mention of gender concerns in training; the former notes the importance of “same opportunities” for women and men, while the latter goes further by noting the need for “special attention to the empowerment of women” through means that include training. [...] The two documents of the UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS), the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests (VGGT) and the Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems (CFS-RAI), state the importance of “women’s equal tenure rights” (p.