The right to adequate food is a fundamental human right which is firmly established in international law, flowing from the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Yet, one out of every five people goes hungry every day, making a total of 800 million hungry people in the world, and more than 20 million people die from starvation and related illnesses every year. Despite widespread recognition of this right, however, the operational content and means of its application are generally in need of greater clarification, especially for women. Women's Right to Food Women are a key part of the right to food. They shoulder a major share of the responsibilities for household food security, and experience has shown that resources in the hands of women have a greater nutritional benefit for children than the same resources controlled by men.
Women are also more likely than men to spend income on food for the family.
Thus, resources for women represent resources for food security. Reducing gender disparities by enhancing the human and physical resources commanded by women leads to growth in household productivity, greater income, and better food and nutrition security for all. The World Food Programme, the food aid organisation of the United Nations, has for over 30 years directly addressed the right to food. WFP is now the largest multilateral food distributor in the world, distributing over 3 million tons of food a year to more than 47 million people. WFP is committed to advocacy in support of policies, strategies and operations that directly benefit the hungry poor.