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Even though the food market is appeared to be fairly stable in recent times, the uncertainty alarmed the countries as they expect an increased food insecurity due to unprecedented threats causing by Covid-19. As per the findings of UNCTAD, the low-income economies bestow around 37% share of their export revenue to food import, more than 5 times higher than a share of developed country, using the most recent data on food import dependence. Governments all over the world, have been working to secure themselves against all sorts of instability in the food market. Any uncertainty in the food market may lead to panic attack causing to impose export bans or tariff hike making the food market unstable which will have deadly impact on the food importing countries. Meanwhile, the locust infestation in the Middle East, South Asia and Africa fanning flames of the tension further causing the panic attack more severe. Therefore, the food security situation in CMCs critically depends both on how Covid-19 is handled in these countries as well as the spread of locust attack in the region. Click here to read the whole article

Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP) celebrated the International Women’s Day on March 8, 2021. This year’s theme is “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world,” and the campaign theme is #ChooseToChallenge. This day celebrates the tremendous efforts by women and girls around the world in shaping a more equal future and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and highlights the gaps that remain. A challenged world is an alert world and from challenge comes change. A very short ceremony was organized in the CIRDAP auditorium with a handful of employees. Office-in-charge of CIRDAP Prof. Dr. Mohammad Helal Uddin, Director of Research, gave a wonderful heartwarming speech on this day. Prof. Helal uddin said, “Women still have to go a long way to achieve equality because our society still is narrow-minded and backward”. He emphasized changing the attitude of society towards women and girls for achieving SDG. Apart from this, other CIRDAP staff shared their own experiences and feelings towards women’s hardships and battles in the society. At the end of the occasion, all CIRDAP staff promised the campaign #ChooseToChallenge to bring equality and equity to thousands of women in Asia and the Pacific countries.

Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP) celebrates the International Women’s Day, today. This year’s theme is “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world,” and campaign theme is #ChooseToChallenge. This day celebrates the tremendous efforts by women and girls around the world in shaping a more equal future and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and highlights the gaps that remain. A challenged world is an alert world and from challenge comes change. So let’s all choose to challenge. The United Nations began celebrating International Women’s Day in 1975. In 1977, the United Nations General Assembly invited member states to proclaim March 8 as the UN Day for women’s rights and world peace.  This year “International Women’s Day” comes at a very difficult time for the world and for gender equality due to pandemic situation. However, this is the time to fight for actions and to salute women and young people for their relentless efforts for gender equality and human rights. The effective and active participation and leadership of women drives progress for everyone. Yet, according to the UN Secretary-General’s recent report, women are still underrepresented in public life and decision-making. Women are Heads of State or Government in 22 countries, and only 24.9 per cent of national parliamentarians are women. At the current rate of progress, gender equality among Heads of Government will take another 130 years. CIRDAP’s focus is on rural women’s leadership and empowerment in all spheres of lives to good health, gender equality, human rights, quality education, and equal participation in decision making process.The COVID-19 pandemic is estimated to push an additional 88 million to 115 million people into extreme poverty in 2020, with the total rising to 150 million by this year. Women remain concentrated in the lowest paid jobs and in extremely vulnerable forms of employment across the world. Women are nearly twice as likely than men to lose their jobs during the COVID-19 crisis. Indeed, the pandemic will dramatically increase the poverty rate for women and widen the gap between men and women who live in poverty.  The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development says to leave no one behind, in this regards, governments should make policies and efforts to create more opportunities of education and employment for women. Also, family and society should change their attitude or perspective towards women and should actively create a favourable environment for her progress and success.  Dr. Cherdsak Virapat Director General, CIRDAP