PURPOSE: The United Nations General Assembly in its resolution 62/136 established The International Day of Rural Women on 15 October to recognize “the critical role and contribution of rural women, including indigenous women, in enhancing agricultural and rural development, improving food security and eradicating rural poverty.” Improving the lives of rural women is key to fighting poverty and hunger. Giving women the same opportunities as men could rise agricultural production by 2.5 to 4% in the poorest regions and the number of malnourished people could be reduced by 12 to 17%. On this day, we celebrate the rural women who bring their experience from the field and who dedicate their expertise to improving the conditions of female smallholders.
FORUM: “Rural women, women with rights.” International Day of Rural Women 2023. According to the latest FAO report, Rural women play a crucial role in agricultural and non-agricultural activities, which emerge as agrifood systems develop and economies change. There, women work as farmers, retailers, wage laborers, entrepreneurs, among other tasks. However, gender inequalities in agrifood systems cause women to be disproportionately affected by food and nutritional insecurity, monetary and time poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean. Let us remind ourselves of the crucial role that women play in our food systems and the importance of eliminating the gender gap in agriculture. Follow the conversation with the hastags: #Womenwithrights, #ruralwomenday, #MujeresRurales, #MujeresConDerechos, #15October, #RuralWomen, #InternationalDayOfRuralWomen.
EVENTS: Global Commemoration of the International Day of Rural Women 2023 , on October 15th.
From 1-17 October 2023” will be held the “17 Days of Activism for the Empowerment of Rural Women Leaders and their Communities.” The “Rural women, women with rights” campaign, convened by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), is a collaborative work initiative that joins efforts, articulates networks, and disseminates knowledge and positive experiences to promote the full autonomy of women in the rural world. Since 2016, this campaign has articulated government entities, civil society organizations and United Nations agencies around regional and national political advocacy actions, in favor of the empowerment of rural women. The Women's World Summit Foundation (WWSF) wish to inform you that the secretariat has decided this year to skip our annual “Call to action – 17 Days of Activism 2023”, and share with you the publication: The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023: Towards a Rescue Plan for People and Planet. If you desire to join us subscribe to the 2023 Registration Form for the 17 Days Campaign.
FAO Asia-Pacific: On October 17th, from 11.00 am - 12.30 pm ICT (GMT+7) you are invited to join the FAO for the International Day of Rural Women 2023 event "entitled “Breaking the barriers: Gender equality, water and financial inclusion in agrifood systems in Asia and the Pacific.” to discuss gender equality, water and financial inclusion in agrifood systems in Asia-Pacific. Register to participate!
FAO Latin-America: A seminar will be held on October 10th,from 9:00 to 11:30 A.M, at FAO Santiago de Chile, the seminar will seek to provide a regional overview of the advances and challenges that promote or obstruct the economic empowerment of rural women in all their diversity, and will make recommendations to strengthen the economic empowerment program for rural women and generate inputs for the FAO Regional Conference -LARC 38, the Regional Conference of ECLAC-UN Women, among other initiatives within the framework of the rural women's agenda in the region. In view of this situation, the FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, in the framework of the Commemoration of the International Day of Rural Women and the strengthening of its program for the economic empowerment of this group, invites counterparts from government, civil society, academia, private sector and United Nations agencies to discuss and propose strategies for closing gender gaps in agrifood systems. During the seminar, examples of legislation, policies and programs will be presented with a focus on what has worked and specific recommendations will be shared on how to make more and better interventions with and for rural women. From a vision of collective action, the seminar will seek to generate alliances and identify strategies and interventions with scalability potential, based on the agenda of rural women in the region, to accelerate rural women economic, social and political empowerment. The Seminar will begin with welcoming remarks by FAO, followed by thematic talks that will delve into the central aspects of sustainable rural development from a transformative gender equality approach, followed by a space for guided reflection, and ending with a session of agreements and closing. The interventions will incorporate success stories and review the strategies mobilized to bring about the necessary change towards an egalitarian welfare state. Watch the seminar!
PODCASTS: To Move towards Prosperous and inclusive rural societies, we need to Implement measures that could improve rural women's lives, including the ones in indigenous rural communities. Listen to the Podcasts!
CAMPAIGN MATERIALS: “Rural women, women with rights.” Let’s Increase visibility, support and recognition of Rural Women’s work to advance rural communities. The 17 Days campaign includes the International Day of Rural Women celebration, which is also the Day when prize-winners are celebrated in their local communities. Join the Rural Women, Women with rights regional campaign from October 1-17, 2023. Get the communication materials!
WHY WE CELEBRATE THE DAY?
HOW TO GET INVOLVED!
PARTNERSHIPS
The International Day of Rural Women is hosted and supported by the UN through multiple agencies, like UN Women, FAO, ILO, World Bank, or IFAD.
With the participation Civil society Organization, Non-Governmental Organizations; Rural Development policy-makers, farmers, Agricultural researchers and academics.
Mobilizing relevant NGOs and grassroots women’s groups, organizations, networks and international institutions, as well as the media, to commemorate the Day and celebrate Rural Women Leaders and their communities around the world.
Raising awareness of rural women’s participation in the development process with a focus on their needs and rights, highlighting their contributions to sustainable development, household food security, safeguarding traditional knowledge, biodiversity, and peacebuilding and so much more.
Sensitizing the public at large and lobbying governments on the crucial role rural women play in climate change management and to prioritize action for their support.
Encouraging organizing local and national initiatives on the annual Day using the Call to action and Campaign Kit “17 Days of activism 1-17 October”; nominating candidates for the Prize for rural women and giving credit where it’s due.
The International Day of Rural Women was created in 1995 by Civil society organizations at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing and was declared an International Day in 2007 by the United Nations General Assembly by the Resolution A/RES/62/136.
We celebrate the day to mobilize governments around the world and fundraised for the campaign. Governments and society need to pay attention to their needs and invest in them, pursuing the political and socio-economic empowerment of rural women and supporting their full and equal participation in decision-making at all levels, take them into account in their policies, developing specific assistance programs, and advisory services to promote economic skills of rural women in banking, modern trading and financial procedures and providing microcredit and other financial and business services, or designing laws to ensure that rural women are accorded full and equal rights to own land and other property, just to name a few.