The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations celebrates World Food Day each year on 16 October, the day on which the Organization was founded in 1945. The World Food Day and TeleFood theme for 2006 is "Investing in agriculture for food security".

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Gender and emergency situations

Gender issues play an important role in ensuring food security in emergencies.

Emergencies affect women and girls differently from men and boys. In situations of armed conflicts, civil strife, or natural disasters, women often lose the capacity to sustain their families’ livelihoods due to loss of seeds, livestock and tools. In addition, conflict situations considerably increase the trauma of gender-specific physical insecurity for women and girls.

Supplying seeds for next year's crop after an emergency 17408/FAO/Bangladesh

It is essential to understand the specific roles/responsibilities of men and women in agriculture and their main constraints/needs, as well as their ability to carry out their activities under emergency situations and early rehabilitation.  Women are often more vulnerable in emergencies due to their lower social and economic status. A gender analysis helps to clarify what the specific needs, vulnerabilities and coping strategies of women and men are so that they can be more adequately addressed in response to an emergency situation.

• Women are at the center of FAO's efforts to improve household food security. FAO's Service for Special Relief Operations is dedicated to integrating a gender perspective into all aspects of the Organization's response to emergencies.

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