Rural women, all around the world, play a key role in the development and stability of the rural areas. In fact, more than half of the women across the globe live and work in rural areas.
Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General of UN, in his speech on International Day of Rural Women in 2010, said, "Rural women do most of the agricultural work in developing countries, but endure the worst working conditions, with low pay and little or no social protection. They are the primary users and custodians of local natural resources, but are seldom given a voice on national and local bodies that decide how these resources are managed. They are the care-givers and managers of households, but rarely share these responsibilities equally with men or have a say in major household decisions."
It is very unfortunate that their contribution to the society goes largely unnoticed. However, there is still some light at the end of the tunnel. To acknowledge their efforts, the International Day of Rural Women is celebrated every year on October 15 to remind the society - at least once a year - how much they owe to the rural women and that they should value and give credit to their work. This week You! highlights the importance of the Day and pays tribute to rural women. Read on to find out more...
How it all started:
The idea of honouring rural women with a special day was put forward at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China, in 1995. It was suggested that October 15 be celebrated as "World Rural Women's Day," - the eve of World Food Day - to highlight rural women's role in food production and food security. "World Rural Women's Day" was previously celebrated across the world for more than a decade before it was officially a UN observance. This international day was finally established by the General Assembly on December 18, 2007. It was on October 15, 2008, that the first International Day of Rural Women was observed. This day is celebrated globally to recognise the role of rural women, including indigenous women, in enhancing agricultural and rural development, improving food security and eradicating rural poverty.
Rural women in Pakistan:
Women residing in rural areas of Pakistan constitute the majority of the overall population. When it comes to the fields of agriculture and economy, our rural women serve as the backbone of the society. According to estimates, over 70 per cent of the rural women work in agriculture - pre-harvest, post-harvest - and livestock management activities; over 60 per cent urban female labour force works in informal sectors and a large number of women work from their homes.
Besides working in the fields and factories, rural women usually earn livelihood by engaging themselves in various home-based works. According to International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates, about 12 million women including under-age girls all over Pakistan are home-based workers, contributing an estimated share of $32 billion in the country's economy of $160 billion. These home-based works include preparing handicrafts, traditional embroidery, rally making, bangle-making, preparing chips, filling matchboxes with match sticks, filling cotton in quilts, making artificial jewellery, packing of edibles like pulses and spices, extracting garlic cloves and peas from their coverings and so on.
The ironic part is that, regardless of putting in long hours of work, their earnings are insignificant and calculated on the basis of the quantity/volume of the work they produce; their working conditions are highly unfavourable. There is no minimum wage, no social security, no job security, no on-site medical help in case of injuries, no spacious, airy or well-lit workplace provided by the employer and, above all, no acknowledgement to their quality contributions.
Certainly, women constitute the majority of rural population and play a key role in boosting the economy of various sectors, particularly the agriculture sector. Whether it be feeding and milking of cattle, rearing, breeding and managing other tasks, women have always been actively involved and the outcome is praiseworthy. Despite having a higher rate of participation in crop and livestock production and other activities, these women are not given equal opportunities as men. Their participation is well dispersed but less perceived, because of insufficient data to show their active involvement in various agricultural activities.
Females overshadow men in many spheres of agricultural tasks in terms of their productive participation but usually their efforts go unrecognized at national level. Apart from observing the International Rural Women's Day, there is a dire need to take such initiatives which may be helpful for these women and provide them enough platforms to prove their worth and enjoy the privileges.
Celebrations around the world
All around the world, many people, government agencies, community groups and non-government associations celebrate the International Day of Rural Women. Television, radio, online, and print media broadcast or publish special features to promote the day. Panel discussions, research papers, and conferences are also held to review and analyze rural women's role in society, particularly in areas such as economic improvement and agricultural development.
Activities promoting the day:
* Global exchange programmes for women in agriculture.
* The launch of fundraising projects to support rural women.
* Expos and workshops showcasing rural women's contribution to their societies.
* Strategic meetings to present issues on topics, such as empowering women farmers, to policy makers.
- Courtesy: http://acelebrationofwomen.org/