Yesterday, the world celebrated the annual International Day of Rural Women, as the United Nations has designated its celebration on October 15 of each year.
This year’s International Day theme is “Rural Women Grow Good Food for All”, which underlines the crucial role played by rural women in feeding the world.
According to global calculations, 1 in 3 women work in agriculture, women collect biomass fuel, manually process food, and pump water, and 80% of households without piped water rely on women and girls to collect water, as structural barriers and customs remain Discriminatory social policies restrict women’s decision-making power and political participation in families and rural communities.
It is worth noting that the UN General Assembly designated the celebration as International Day of Rural Women back in 2007 in recognition of the role women and girls play in ensuring the sustainability of rural families and communities and improving their livelihoods.
