Last Updated on 15 October 2023 IST | International Day of Rural Women is observed on 15th October every year to recognize the significant role and involvement of rural women. This International Day of Rural Women proposes a transforming opportunity to pledge to a changed system of organizing our ecosphere, to shape the vision of the Feminist Plan. The focus is on the effects and multi-stakeholder commitments of the recent United Nations Food System Summit thereby benefiting the rural women equally from their productivity and food and nutrition shared by all.
International Day of Rural Women 2023: Highlights
- International Day of Rural Women commemorates the contribution of rural women for their different achievements.
- The U.N. The General Assembly declared October 15 as “International Day of Rural Women”.
- The theme of 2023 is Rural Women Cultivating Good Food for All, however in 2021 it was ” Rural women cultivating for all’
- “IDRW recognizes the role of women in improving rural development and food security
- The first International Day of Rural Women was on 15 October 2008.
- Across the world, food systems depend on the daily work of rural women
- Women farmers achieve yields 20-30% lower than men due to unequal access to resources
- Eternal Knowledge (Tatavgyan) by Saint Rampal ji Maharaj changes the society against any discrimination.
International Day of Rural Women 2023: Date, History and Significance
The first International Day of Rural Women was commemorated on 15 October 2008. The Rural Women Day recognizes the significant role and involvement of rural women in improving agricultural and rural development, enhancing food security and eliminating rural poverty.
The UN has decided to celebrate the Day before World Food Day to signify rural women’s role in food security. Women play a vital role in the rural economy in many poor nations. Rural women are involved in all rural activities including agriculture, livestock, cooking, arranging drinking water and fuel for their families.
Across the world rural women ensure that both their families and communities are nourished. But the same women often face lack of nutritious food and a higher risk of hunger. This is because of unequal power relations and discriminatory gender norms.
International Day of Rural Women 2023 Theme:
The theme of The International Day of Rural Women of 2023 is “Rural Women Cultivating Good Food for All” and the theme for the year 2021 was “Rural Women Cultivating Good Food for All.”
UN Women’s New Feminist Plan
The UN Secretary-General has asked for a makeover of our food systems so that everyone gets healthy food. There is a need to restructure the global food system for UN Women’s new Feminist Plan for Sustainability and Social Justice. The Feminist Plan is meant for strengthened relationship in governments and civil society to improve gender-responsive agroecology. It will act as an alternative to industrial agriculture that has proven benefits for women small-scale farmers. It will also support food security and protect precious biodiversity and ecosystems.
UN Women Supports Empower Rural Women Program
UN Women works to support rural women empowerment programs. Along with FAO, IFAD and WFP, UN Women in a Joint Program on Rural Women’s Economic Empowerment has reached 80,000 rural women across Ethiopia, Guatemala, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Nepal, Niger and Rwanda. The program employed integrated approaches to help rural women’s livelihoods.
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They addressed discriminatory social norms and unpaid care and domestic work. They also improved agricultural productivity and enhanced food security and improved nutrition. For example, in Senegal, UN Women made joint efforts with REFAN, the Network of Female Rice Producers of the North, to back rural women. They improved the rice value chain to enhance livelihoods, food and nutrition. Simultaneously they tried to reduce reliance on fossil fuels in an effort to combat climate change.
Facts & Figures: Rural Women and the Millennium Development Goals
- Rural women face worse conditions as compared to rural men and urban women and men for all MDG indicators. The lack of data impacts on global ability to confidently measure and effectively control progress toward the MDGs.
- Rural women support households and communities in achieving food and nutrition security, generating income, and improving rural livelihoods and overall well-being.
- Rural women contribute to agriculture and rural enterprises and contribute to improve local and global economies.
- Rural women play an active role in achieving the MDGs but lack persistent structural constraints. It becomes a barrier in fully enjoying human rights. It also hampers their efforts to improve their lives as well as those of others around them.
The World Community Stands Committed With Rural Women
- Farming First expresses worry, “Women farmers typically achieve yields 20-30% lower than men due to unequal access to productive resources and services yet closing this gender gap could reduce the number of malnourished people by 12-17%.”
- CGIAR GENDER Platform says, “Rural women’s empowerment starts with resilience. Only when able to withstand shocks and stressors from climate change, pandemics and other crises, rural women will be able to take up their rightful roles as leaders in farming and business, improving their lives, livelihoods, and entire food systems.”
- Geneva International Centre for Justice shows full commitment to the implementation and promotion of all rural women rights. Equally, GICJ would like to point out the importance of their empowerment, not only to improve their well-being and living conditions, but equally to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
Eternal Knowledge Is the Key for the Change
Gender inequality has its roots fabricated everywhere into the minds of people. But a program is run against discrimination of urban to rural, man to women under the leadership of Saint Rampal Ji Maharaj. The great Saint says-
Our race is living being, Mankind is our religion,
Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian, there is no separate religion
SatGuru Rampal Ji reveals the True Spiritual Knowledge (Tatvgyan) that all souls are created by the word power of Supreme God Kabir. All creatures of the universe have same soul irrespective of the body, so there lies no space for discrimination. The purpose of all is to achieve Salvation
Sat-Bhakti Is the Solution
There is only one Enlightened Saint in the whole universe in the form of SatGuru Rampal Ji Maharaj who delivers the True Spiritual Knowledge or Tatvgyan and bestows Naam Diksha. He preaches Sat-Bhakti (True Devotion) in accordance with Holy Geeta chapter 17 verse 23. SatGuru has also laid successful foundations of a society that promotes equality among people, as they consider each and everyone equal in the eyes of our father Supreme God Kabir without discrimination. Therefore, without wasting even a minute, take Naam Diksha (Naam Initiation) from Saint Rampal Ji Maharaj to achieve the right purpose of human birth.
FAQs About International Day of Rural Women
Ans:- In 2023, International Day of Rural Women is on 15 October.
And:- Rural women work as active agents who contribute differently in improving the condition of their rural area.
Ans:- International Day of Rural Women plays a vital role as the women here ensure that both their families and communities are nourished.
Ans :- No, of course not. Women have to face severe criticism and unequal rights.
Ans:- In 2007, the U.N.General Assembly declared October 15 as “International Day of Rural Women.