What You Need to Know About the International Day of Rural Women in 2022

The International Day of Rural Women is observed on October 15 all over the world. The purpose of the day is to promote gender equality and to highlight the important role that women play in rural areas. On December 18, 2007, the United Nations General Assembly established the International Day of Rural Women.

This year’s commemorative theme is “Rural Women Cultivating Good Food for All.” The contribution of women’s labour in agricultural and related fields is the backbone of several economies. According to a UN report, women make up roughly 40% of the total agricultural labor force in developing countries. This figure nearly doubles for Asian and African countries.

Regrettably, women earn less than their male counterparts. According to the report, if these women were given equal opportunities, agricultural production would increase by 2.5 to 4%.

Recent food and energy disruptions have only exacerbated the situation. According to a UN Women report, 23.7 billion people will lack access to adequate food by 2020. This alludes to the fact that an additional 20%, or 3.2 billion people, were forced to go hungry. Rural women and children were almost always the ones who bore the brunt of the damage.

Another report from the humanitarian organisation CARE revealed that 150 million more women than men would be considered “food insecure” in 2021, an eight-fold increase from 2018. According to the report, 18 million more women than men were “food insecure.”

The International Day of Rural Women is celebrated on October 15th, as it is critical to rebuild the world’s broken food system from the ground up. It may be possible to build rural women’s resilience, skills, and leadership capabilities by assisting them in “producing and distributing diverse and healthy food crops.”

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