Statement of the UN Resident Coordinator, Ms Nathalie Ndongo-Seh, at the UN75 Dialogue with Women Farmers of Eswatini

Director - Woman Farmer Foundation

Farmers and entrepreneurs

Colleagues,       

Ladies and gentlemen,

A very good morning to all of you women farmers and women entrepreneurs, including those joining us online today.

It is with great pleasure that I address you today on behalf of the UN Development System in Eswatini, ahead of this UN75 dialogue in which your views, concerns, ideas and recommendations are needed to shape a better future for the world – and especially for the next generation.

To mark its 75th anniversary in 2020, the UN has launched a global conversation on how to tackle the challenges we face and build a better future for all.  The feedback from the dialogues will be shared at the high level commemoration of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly in September 2020.

I take this opportunity to congratulate His Majesty King Mswati III for the election of the Kingdom of Eswatini as Vice-President of the 75th session of the General Assembly. This means that Eswatini has the unique privilege of influencing future direction of the world at such a critical time  in our human history.

The UN family in Eswatini is proud to have been a trusted partner of the Government and the people of Eswatini for more than 50 years now.

The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare severe and systemic inequalities. As the UN, we are particularly concerned about the impact of the pandemic on vulnerable populations, including women, children, older persons, persons with disabilities, PLHIV and those on low-income and migrant populations.

We observe with concern that while the COVID-19 pandemic affects everyone, everywhere, it does not affect everyone equally.  For example, the crisis is having a substantial impact on women.

Women play a disproportionate role in responding to the virus, including as frontline healthcare workers and care-takers at home. Women disproportionately work in insecure labour markets - nearly 60% of women work in the informal economy - and are at greater risk of falling into poverty.

To reduce the impact on women, measures to protect and stimulate the economy must target women.  We do hope that women farmers are beneficiaries of the FAO supported programme to increase local vegetable production in response to COVID-19.

In collaboration with NAMBoard, FAO has been distributing  vegetable seedlings and seeds to farmers across the country. We trust that some of you have already benefited or are yet to benefit from this initiative.

We believe this intervention will ensure sustainable vegetable production in the country even after COVID-19 for assured food security at household and national levels.

For development to be sustainable on the continent, we need African solutions to African problems or local solutions to local problems, such as the solutions the women in this room have come up with to keep your businesses and farming enterprises afloat during the pandemic, and to support your families and communities.

It is time for coordinated global, regional and national efforts to build better and more resilient industries, economies and societies, that are inclusive of all – especially women, girls, PLWD and others - and that provide opportunities for everyone to thrive, while ensuring that no one is left behind.

As the UN, we see a world where the private sector, and especially women-led enterprioses, is a transformative partner in the elimination of poverty and inequality, in the establishment of resilient and equitable social protection schemes for all, and in ensuring sustainable business practices that provide decent work and dignity for all, thereby leading to the achievement of the SDGs.

The UN in Eswatini is ready and willing to partner with the private sector to accelerate the achievement of SDGs. With smart and timely action at all levels, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as our guide or compass, we can emerge from this crisis stronger, with better businesses, better jobs and a brighter, more equal and greener future for all in Eswatini.

I thank you.