In this feature article, Maria Melinda Ando, Programme Manager for Information andCommunications and the ARROW for Change Managing Editor of the Asian-Pacific Resource andResearch Centre for Women (ARROW) talks to Nanu Ghatani, a farmer and the Kavre DistrictChairperson of the Himalayan Grassroots Women’s Natural Resource Management Association(HIMAWANTI) Nepal. The interview focuses on Nanu’s journey as a farmer and communityleader, the challenges she and the women like her face in the village with respect to genderbiases, food security, nutrition security, gender, and sexual and reproductive health and rights.
This interview was held during the Asia and the Pacific Regional High-level Consultation onGender, Food Security and Nutrition: Ensuring the Other Half Equal Opportunities in Bangkok,Thailand held on 24-26 July 2013.2 The three-day regional consultation jointly organised byWomen Organizing for Change in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management (WOCAN),United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB)brought together more than 70 representatives from some 18 Asia-Pacific countries, representinggovernments, INGOs and CSOs, in an effort to boost food security by improving gender equality,particularly in agriculture sector and food production. Dr. Olivier de Schutter, UN SpecialRapporteur on the Right to Food, gave the keynote address. At the consultation, Nanu Ghatanialso shared her testimonial3 during the Panel Discussion on the Strategic Approaches: Options toaddress gender dimensions of food and nutrition security.