International Day of Rural Women focuses on a quarter of world population


Rural women are key agents for achieving economic, environmental and social changes required for sustainable development.

That's the message of the United Nations for the International Day of Rural Women which is observed on 15 October.

Lakshmi Puri, the Deputy Executive Director of UN Women, the entity for gender equality, explained why it's important to have a day dedicated to rural women.

“It’s about one quarter of the world’s population, it’s about some of the poorest of that population, it’s also about the most food insecure and hungry, and also it is about those who are most vulnerable because they are rural but also because they are women.”

Several events were held at UN Headquarters in New York on Wednesday to observe the International Day of Rural Women.


SOURCE: Derrick Mbatha, United Nations.