WASHINGTON, D.C. - On Monday, February 27th, representatives from Feed the Future (FTF), the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) of Oxford University will brief on the "Women's Empowerment in Agriculture Index" (WEAI). The Index will be launched on February 28th at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.

WEAI is the first ever measure to directly capture women's empowerment and inclusion levels in the agricultural sector. Women play a critical role in agricultural growth in developing countries. Yet they face persistent obstacles and economic constraints, limiting further inclusion in the sector. The Index is a partnership between the US Government's FTF program, USAID, IFPRI, and OPHI. The index will be used for performance monitoring and impact evaluations of Feed the Future programs around the world and has been piloted in regions of three countries so far - Bangladesh, Guatemala, and Uganda.

WHAT

Conference call briefing on the Women's Empowerment in Agriculture Index

WHO

Tjada McKenna, Feed the Future Coordinator, USAID
Why the new Index is such a significant breakthrough and how it will be used by the US Government

Agnes Quisumbing, Senior Research Fellow, Poverty, Health, and Nutrition Division, International Food Policy Research Institute
How the index has been piloted so far and the innovative work done to survey men and women from the same households

Sabina Alkire, Director, Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative
What is innovative about the index itself and why it represents such a major development in empowerment measurement

WHEN

Monday, February 27, 2012 (9:00am Washington, D.C. time)

To participate in the conference call briefing, please:

• RSVP with the USAID Press Office usaidpressofficers@usaid.gov and provide your telephone number. Landlines are preferred. Our operator will call you.
• If possible, please also provide a second, back-up phone number.