In a joint collaboration, the World Food Forum (WFF) and FAO Liaison Office in Geneva are organizing the "Thematic Youth Assembly on Supporting Women and Girls in Decent Rural Employment" in technical cooperation with the International Labour Organization (ILO).
Participate and engage in the Thematic Youth Assembly, where you will be able to provide insight, ideas, recommendations, and action steps towards supporting and empowering youth, women and girls in securing sustainable rural employment opportunities, leading to improved livelihoods and economic inclusion.
Objectives:
- Initiate a year-long process of knowledge exchange, consultations and collaboration among youth, experts and policymakers on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment (GEWE), analyzing SDG 5 in relation to other SDGs and development challenges.
- Gather youth perspectives to form the basis of the WFF Youth Assembly's (YA) Engagement at the ECOSOC Youth Forum (April 2025) and the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) (July 2025).
- Highlight connections between the SDGs under review in 2025, which a specific focus on SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) but enlarging the conversation also to SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 4 (Quality Education).
- Explore the Linkages between GEWE and Decent Rural Employment (DRE), examining their interconnections and DRE'S critical role in achieving GEWE.
- Present FAO and ILO priorities and strategies to support Women and Girls in Decent Rural Employment.
- Bring together diverse organizations and technical expertise to address the most pressing issues concerning women's and girls' employment in agrifood systems ensuring alignment with international labour standards.
- Provide opportunities for youth, eager to actively participate in transforming agrifood systems, to connect with technical experts, gain insights from their expertise on gender, agrifood systems and decent rural employment, and receive support in shaping youth priorities on these various topics.
Expected outcomes:
- Enhanced knowledge and understanding of GEWE in agrifood systems, with a particular focus on decent rural employment opportunities and economic empowerment.
- Broader perspectives on GEWE gathered, shifting the conversation from the general topic of Decent Rural Employment to more specific aspects, such as access to education and training and access to technology and innovation.
- Initiation of discussions and collection of inputs on the interlinkages between SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) to inform the development of a youth position paper for presentation at the HLPF 2025.
- Increased recognition of the Youth Assembly’s value in the international agrifood systems landscape, effectively showcasing its potential and contributions. This leads to greater engagement and collaboration with UN agencies, emphasizing the added value of youth-driven initiatives.
We warmly invite you to join us in this important discussion and contribute to global youth action towards strengthening gender-responses to challenges and barriers in rural youth employment. If you are based in Geneva/Switzerland, we strongly encourage you to participate in-person at the Palais des Nations.
