In many countries where WFP works, the oppression of women and girls begins at home and is ignored or even encouraged by law.
Lacking property rights, mothers must often bargain with their husbands for their children’s basic necessities. Because the daughters’ needs come last, many girls sell their bodies to pay for food, clothing and school fees as they attempt to complete their education. In a 2004 study in Tanzania, one quarter of elementary school girls surveyed had resorted to what has been termed "survival sex."
Unfortunately, the odds are stacked against them finishing school. In addition to the risk of HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infection and pregnancy, there are incentives for families to sell their daughters into marriage. Known as a bride price, the girl's father and brothers receive money, food and other commodities from the family of the groom – the younger the bride, the higher the price. With little or no legal recourse for cases of abuse, and with few economic opportunities should she attempt to leave her husband, the cycle repeats itself.
The systematic oppression of women and girls is not only degrading – it’s a waste of their talent and strength. As Secretary of State Hillary Clinton put it during her recent trip to Africa, “Empowering women is a crucial step towards seizing the economic opportunities of this new century. No nation can succeed in spreading prosperity or increasing security if it leaves out or leaves behind more than half of the population.”
WFP knows this, and has implemented hundreds of programs dedicated to increasing opportunities for women and girls. The McGovern-Dole School Feeding Program starts early, giving girls a chance at education. In Afghanistan, the program provides take-home rations to boys and girls as well as 3.7 liters of cooking oil to families whose daughters attend school 22 days out of every month. Girls now make up 36 percent of enrollment, a tremendous increase, and one which bodes well for a brighter future.
WFP also provides support for women working to provide for themselves and their families. The Purchase for Progress program (P4P), piloted in 21 countries, reaches out to smallholder farmers, who are predominantly women. P4P helps them increase production, access markets and find reliable buyers, including WFP. Anne Rono, a Kenyan beneficiary of P4P, said it “can change my life, because by selling maize, I will get money, so my kids can get a better education, they can change their lives, they can wear good shoes, clothes.”
For more on WFP’s dedication to empowering women and improving lives around the globe, click here.
- Martha Grant
Public Policy Intern
Friends of WFP
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