By Elizabeth Mpofu* – March 28, 2016
In an attempt to solve problems, people collectively ask questions and discuss and implement solutions. Elizabeth Mpofu describes how knowledge co-creation is commonplace in the lives of people and in agroecology. From these processes, social, political, and practical innovations emerge.
Learning is a lifetime activity. Nowhere is this clearer than in agriculture, and especially among women farmers. Being responsible for over 70% of agricultural production on our continent, we farm through knowledge sharing. In complex and closely knit social groups, starting in early childhood, knowledge is birthed, nurtured and passed on. This knowledge relates to a wide range of topics, such as seed selection and storage, farming methods, nutrition and traditional medicine.
Understanding the influences of patriarchy – a system that upholds men’s power over women as well as unequal power dynamics among men and among women – is critical to identifying causal relationships and developing solutions to tackle climate change. Such analyses have already led to more sophisticated understandings of and solutions for the fields of sexual and reproductive health and rights, violence against women, and women’s economic empowerment, amongst other topics.
IV. Thematic Focus: Modalities for the Establishment of Femicide or Gender-Related Killings Watch
A.Introduction: The Call for the Establishment of a Femicide Watch
UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women: Call for Good Practices on Data Collection & Prevention of Femicide
On 25 November 2015, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, The Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, Ms. Dubravka Šimonović called on all States to establish a “femicide watch”, or a “gender-related killing of women” watch.
