15 October – 10th anniversary of the World Rural Women’s Day

What rights for women as rural citizens?

Paris, 15 October 2005 – “On World Rural Women’s Day 2005, women farmers throughout the world are uniting to defend their rights. Rural women are citizens in their own right and refuse to be treated as second class citizens” is the message being sent by women farmers belonging to the International Federation of Agricultural Producers.

The Beijing platform adopted by the United Nations 10 years ago was a great step forward for women. However, women are still too often victims of discrimination with regard to education, training, jobs and health, physical and psychological violence, wartime acts of violence etc. Rural women’s geographical remoteness means they are even more exposed. Consequently women farmers worldwide join the President of the IFAP Committee on Women Farmers, Mrs Karen Serres, in calling upon the governments and the population to respect the rights women are claiming as rural citizens. 

- Right of women to take part in decision making and in farmers’ organisations: … It is vital that women farmers take part in the policy decisions of the farmers’ organisations representing them to ensure their interests are taken into account by governments.

- Rights concerning violence against rural women: … Domestic violence, rape, murder, slavery and sexual harassment are all unacceptable forms of violence. There are many obstacles to women obtaining justice.

- Right to work in the agricultural sector: … The widespread lack of recognition of women’s work in the agricultural sector continues: overexploitation of women’s labour, inequality of salaries for equivalent work and competence. In many cases, they are only recognised only as farmers’ wives without their own status.

- Right of rural women to participate in the markets: … Trade can contribute to improving living conditions in farming families. Women farmers should be able to use this instrument to its full extent.

- Right to health care: … Good health is vital to working effectively. Easier access to quality health care services contributes to a better standard of living in rural communities.

- Right to education: … World-wide, two thirds of the illiterate population are women. Among other things education will give women better knowledge of their rights and enable them to involve themselves more effectively in the community.

- Right of access to natural resources: … Access to and control of land and water open the way to increased productivity and sustainable agricultural development. Land ownership also facilitates access to credit.

- Women’s rights in armed conflicts: … Around 90% of war victims are civilians, most of them women and children.

- Rights of indigenous women: … Indigenous women and girls are most subject to discrimination and exclusion. They also suffer the consequences of some traditional harmful practices.

This year with the theme “What rights for women as rural citizens?” the celebration aims to remind populations and governments of the reality for rural women throughout the world and the absolute necessity to concretely support them in their activities.

Some figures: According to the FAO, women produce more than 50% of the food cultivated on the planet. In Africa, more than 80% of food is produced by women. It is 60% in Asia and 30 to 40% in South America. The majority of the poor of our planet live in rural areas. 70% of the poor in rural areas are women and their principal resource is agriculture

Note: The WRWD 2005 message from the President of the IFAP Women Farmers Committee and the women farmers’ recommendations are available at the following address: http://www.rural-womens-day.org/