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Gender-based violence in food systems

Abstract

Gender-based violence (GBV) is an important and pervasive global health and human rights issue whereby prevalence rates have remained unchanged for a decade. However, the relationship between GBV and food systems — the complex networks of people and activities involved in food, from production to consumption — lacks recognition in food systems research and policy. For both moral and practical reasons, GBV needs to be part of food system conversations, research and policy, so that the food sector can respond to global calls for action to address GBV.

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Acknowledgements

I am grateful to A. Martin, L. Treasure, D. Castaneda Lopez, S. Martin, V. Nelson, F. Picchioni, J. Po, D. Rubin and G. Summers. I also have immense gratitude to the many women farmers, processors and traders that have given their time to speak candidly about their experiences.

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Correspondence to Lora Forsythe.

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Nature Food thanks Tilman Brück and Stacy Banwell for their contribution to the peer review of this work.

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Forsythe, L. Gender-based violence in food systems. Nat Food 4, 472–475 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-023-00777-y

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