today women are a central force in this movement womens participation and representation has increased they have taken up positions of leadership and significant strides have been made to achieve parity in womens representation in decisionmaking bodies in its latin american section for example parity was established in womens specific concerns have also gained greater visibility on the movements agenda when via campesina developed its political position on food sovereignty in the late s for example women argued that because women are primarily responsible for the wellbeing of their families food sovereignty must include a drastic reduction in the use of healthendangering agrochemicals