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Committee on the
Elimination of Discrimination against Women
40th session (14
January - 1 February 2008)
ATTACHED IS THE REPORT OF THE 2007
MISSION TO BOLIVIA OF THE UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON THE RIGHT TO FOOD, JEAN
ZIEGLER
Gender Issue Examples from the
Special Rapporteur on Food
Mission to Bolivia Report to the
United Nations
A.
International obligations
25. Bolivia
is party to the main international treaty that protects the right to food, the
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and is
therefore committed to realizing the right to food of all its people.
.............................................................................................................................
I. MALNUTRITION
AND FOOD INSECURITY IN BOLIVIA
A. The current
situation of malnutrition and food insecurity in Bolivia
6. Chronic malnutrition affects more than
one in four Bolivian children. The highest levels of malnutrition are amongst
Bolivians living in rural areas, especially in the high plains of the altiplano
regions of Potosi and Chuquisaca, but also in the valleys
and tropical lowland departments of Beni and Pando.
7. Malnutrition levels are much higher
amongst the poorest families.[1]
Children in the poorest households have levels of malnutrition six times that
of children born into the richest 20 per cent of households.[2]
Families of indigenous Quechua, Aymara, Guaraní and other peoples are far more
affected by chronic malnutrition (28 per cent) than non-indigenous children (16
per cent).[3]
Many of Bolivia’s
minorities, such as the 38,600 afro-bolivianos are also particularly
affected by high levels of malnutrition. More than half of Bolivian children
suffer from micronutrient deficiencies, particularly of iron, iodine and
Vitamin A, and 80 per cent of children between 6 and 23 months suffer from
anaemia. Child mortality levels remain high, but regional disparities are
severe - a baby born in the richer department of Tarija is three times more
likely to live to see its first birthday than a baby born in the poorer
department of Oruro.[4]
8. Although Bolivia
has vast natural wealth from mineral and energy resources, the majority of the
population is still extremely poor. Nearly two thirds of Bolivians live below
the national poverty line.[5]
Around 35 per cent, mostly indigenous peoples, live in extreme poverty without
access to a minimum canasta basica. This means that they cannot afford
even the minimum amount of calories every day to sustain a healthy life.[6]
Poor families spend a large proportion of their total income on food and have
limited access to adequate, sufficiently nutritious food.
As a result of changing trade patterns, many have become dependent on cheap,
low quality imported noodles, rather than nutritionally rich Bolivian staples
such as quinoa (a highly nutritious indigenous grain). Extreme poverty is
concentrated amongst indigenous communities (49 per cent), rather than
non-indigenous people (24 per cent) and poverty levels are much higher in rural
areas. The poorest are mostly subsistence farmers who struggle to survive on
small plots of land or as agricultural labourers on pitiful wages. However,
there are also high levels of urban poverty, as rapidly increasing rural-urban
migration over the last 30 years has pushed millions into the cities,
especially to El Alto.
16. Millions
of Bolivians continue to lack access to safe drinking water, as well as water
for subsistence agriculture. The situation is particularly severe in rural
areas, where up to 43 per cent of the population has no access to safe drinking
water and 75 per cent have no sanitation,[1]
the vast majority of whom are indigenous peoples.[2]
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