Today is International Women's Day. Why do we at IFPRI celebrate it?

Globally, women and men work together as producers and caregivers to secure their households’ livelihoods, food security, and nutrition. However, gendered divisions of rights, resources, and responsibilities often leave women and girls particularly vulnerable to malnutrition, poor health, and excessive workloads. Understanding these differences is integral to IFPRI’s mission to provide research-based policy solutions to reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries.

Research done at IFPRI and across other CGIAR centers has clearly shown that strengthening women’s roles in food systems leads to better food security, nutrition, and economic outcomes for individuals, households, and entire communities.

Studies consistently show that when women have greater control over household resources, food security improves, and families—especially children—have better diets. Women often prioritize food and nutrition when making financial and agricultural decisions, meaning their empowerment has a direct impact on reducing hunger and malnutrition.

Women make up a significant share of the agricultural workforce, yet they often have less access to land, credit, technology, and training. Research demonstrates that closing these gaps can increase agricultural productivity and resilience, leading to more stable food supplies and better incomes for farming families.

When women gain access to markets, jobs, and financial resources, entire economies benefit. IFPRI’s findings show that removing barriers to women’s economic participation leads to higher household incomes, reduced poverty, and more inclusive economic growth.

Women farmers are often responsible for managing natural resources and food production. Ensuring women have access to climate-smart technologies, training, and land rights strengthens overall community resilience.

Learn more about our work in this area, and feel free to get in touch if you have any questions!

Happy International Women’s Day!

UN Women Dr Jemimah Njuki International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) FAO Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) CGIAR GENDER Impact Platform

Hazel Malapit Jessica Heckert, PhD Dan Gilligan Agnes Quisumbing Ruth Meinzen-Dick Jordan Kyle Katrina Kosec Catherine Ragasa Emily Myers Ara Go