Ending hunger and adapting to climate change in communities and Capitol Hill: Women's leadership on Millennium Development Goals 1 and 7

Today, 925 billion people go hungry worldwide. But hunger isn't about too many people and too little food. It is about power. And the solution lies in the powerful leadership of women to achieve Millennium Development Goals 1, 7 and 8 (Ending Poverty and Hunger; Ensuring Environmental Sustainability; A Global Partnership for Development). Oxfam America works with partner organizations across the world to find solutions to hunger and climate change. These solutions include both on-the-ground innovations in how women and communities grow food and protect scarce natural resources, and policy partnerships which bring the message of women farmers to Capitol Hill.

This session will explore two partnerships to meet MDG 1, 7 and 8:

1) Program Partnerships: Oxfam works with local organizations to find community-supported solutions to hunger. The presentation will highlight innovative programs like the System of Rice Intensification, grain banks, weather insurance, and water delivery systems, and the need for transparency, participation, and accountability in donor and government funded programs. These innovations have been shown to increase food security while helping women and communities build climate resiliency and protect natural resources.

2) Policy Partnerships: These partnerships unite community leaders from around the world with Oxfam's US constituency to change policy on Capitol Hill. Programs highlighted will include Oxfam's Sisters on the Planet program, which brings women leaders together to raise awareness about climate change, hunger, and other crises women face, as well as other initiatives which advocate for better policies to meet MDG 1, 7 and 8.