ISEA brings the evolving benchmarks for Transformational Partnership in a regional consultation meeting
To enrich the discussions and perspectives on improving economic outcomes for women, Dr. Marie Lisa Dacanay, ISEA President, shared the initial results of the ongoing studies of ISEA on social enterprises in the Philippines and three other countries in Southeast Asia during the regional consultation meeting organized by the United Nations (UN) High Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment, Oxfam Asia, and the UN Women Regional Office in Asia and the Pacific on December 19 to 20, 2016 in Bangkok, Thailand.
Dr. Dacanay provided inputs on women’s economic empowerment in Agricultural Value Chains in Asia and described five important strategic partnerships that can positively impact women. She noted that these partnerships should:
- Promote appropriate technology and community-based/ oriented innovations that are friendly to small producers and women;
- Progressively position women and men small producers to reap a more substantive share of value created over time;
- Pave the way for the empowerment of small producers to become actors in their own development and that of their community and sector;
- Provide a combination of transactional and transformational services among women and men small producers to more effectively participate in value chain and community/sectoral development; and,
- Put a premium on value chains and value chain development practices that enhance women’s participation and empowerment.
The said consultation meeting is part of the effort of the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment in providing recommendations for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to improve economic outcomes for women.
Oxfam International Executive Director, Winnie Byanyima, is a member of the panel, alongside Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women and other members.
Dr. Dacanay’s presentation is based on the studies under the project, “Promoting the Role of Social Enterprises in Gender Transformative and Responsible Agricultural Investments in South East Asia (PROSE-GRAISEA).” The project is led by Oxfam, with funding support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).
PROSE-GRAISEA aims to benefit women and men small-scale producers, including agricultural workers in Southeast Asia via the adoption of gendered benchmarks for transformational partnerships in agricultural value chains, by social enterprises themselves, and governments at the national and ASEAN levels.