MBW to host UNFSS Dialogue: Gender Equality in the Meat Sector as a Sustainability Solution
GMA co-founder, Laura Ryan, single-handedly dreamed up a professional networking group for women working in the meat industry - Meat Business Women (MBW) - over five years ago and this organisation has now successfully launched globally. The initial work run by MBW in attracting and retaining female talent in the sector, was noticed by that of the United Nations and in 2019, the UN pronounced MBW as a global solution to their Sustainable Development Goals.
Since such time, Laura and her international committees, have been working to create impactful change and have delivered on a recommendation by the UN to better understand the figures and track this change, by publishing an independent report last year - Gender Representation in the Meat Sector.
Now it’s time for the power of the network we have created collectively, to come together and unleash the passion, the belief and the faith we have in the sector for a greater good. The United Nations Food Systems Summit, scheduled for September of this year, aims to “bring together youth, smallholder farmers, indigenous peoples, researchers, private sector, policy leaders and ministers of agriculture, environment, health, and finance among others to deliver the latest evidence-based and scientific approach from around the world, launch a set of new commitments through coalitions of action, and mobilize new financing and partnerships.” And it’s imperative, the meat sector has a seat at the table.
As such, MBW are facilitating an independent dialogue to engage with women working in this space, including keynote speaker – UK Chief Veterinary Officer, Defra, Christine Middlemiss – and to workshop solutions that feed directly into the United Nations Food Systems Summit dialogue.
We’ll explore how gender equality can deliver a more sustainable meat industry. Who needs to be involved and what actions need to be taken to ensure the involvement and empowerment of women working in the sector? And, what impact could gender equality have directly on the Action Tracks (specifically action track 2 &4) identified within the UNFSS?