Today is International Day of Rural Women

October 15 is celebrated as the International Day of Rural Women across the world. The day focuses to promote gender equality and highlight the important role played by women in rural areas.

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October 15 is celebrated as the International Day of Rural Women across the world. The day focuses to promote gender equality and highlight the important role played by women in rural areas. Initially, the United Nations General Assembly established the International Day of Rural Women on December 18, 2007.

The theme for International Day of Rural Women 2022 is “Rural Women, key for a world free from hunger and poverty.

This year, the theme for this significant day is “Rural Women Cultivating Good Food for All”. The contribution of women’s labour in agricultural and other related fields is the backbone of the economies of several countries. As per a UN report, approximately 40 per cent of the total agricultural labour force in developing countries comprises women. For Asian and African countries this figure rises to nearly half.

The recent disruptions to food and energy have only worsened the situation. According to a report by UN Women, in 2020, 23.7 billion did not have access to adequate food. This alluded to the fact that around 20% or 3.2 billion people more were pushed towards hunger. Invariably, the groups which faced most of the brunt were rural women and children.