This policy and strategy was developed through the active collaboration and engagement of Trócaire staff and managers from across the organisation in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Ireland, bringing diverse perspectives and insights based on the realities where we work.
Gender Equality
Promoting equal rights is key to what we do.
Two thirds of people living in poverty are women and girls. Although they're producers of 60-80% of the world's food, they suffer disproportionately from hunger.
Violence affects more women of reproductive age than malaria or cancer, and in sub Saharan Africa, 61% of adults living with HIV are women.
Poverty and injustice affects both men and women, but women frequently face additional discrimination, inequality and exclusion. We believe that tackling gender inequality is vital if we hope to achieve lasting development, peace and a just society.
Sustainable development cannot be achieved without explicitly addressing and responding to the different situations, needs and realities of women and men. In development gender inequalities intensify vulnerabilities to poverty and injustice and prevent women and girls in particular from achieving their full human potential.
Factors such as lack of access to and control over resources, lack of education, lack of representation in public life, lack of access to basic services, susceptibility to HIV and gender related violence all contribute to this situation. Two thirds of people living in poverty are women and girls and although women produce 60-80% of the world's food, they suffer disproportionately from hunger.
Our policy work on gender inequality
Trócaire believes that gender inequality is a critical challenge for all of us globally. In the developing world gender inequality can further undermine development and contribute to poverty and injustice. Its impacts at the personal, societal, economic and political level are enormous. Our work emphasises the need to address and eliminate gender inequalities in order to ensure that women and men have equal rights and opportunities. Our work stresses the importance of gender equality for poverty reduction and the central need for the voices of women in poor countries to be included in the processes and decisions that affect and shape their lives.
Our programme work on Gender Equality
Trócaire spends almost €2 million annually on Gender Equality programming – in Asia, in Latin America and across Africa. In sectors such as livelihoods and governance, Trócaire is assisting partners to modify programmes to address and response to the particular needs that affect, and the injustices that are faced by, both men and women. See Issues we work on - Gender Equality for more information on our gender equality programme work.
Related policy papers:
On 17th November 2008 the Irish Joint Consortium on Gender Based Violence hosted a conference “Women, Peace and Conflict”. The conference was attended by international and Irish women’s rights activists, representatives from Irish government agencies, including the Irish Defence Forces and Department of Foreign Affairs, and representatives from Irish and international civil society organisations.
A report by the Irish Joint Consortium on Gender Based Violence
Gender Based Violence, Poverty and Development. An Issues Paper from the Irish Joint Consortium on Gender Based Violence.
