The role of women in rural development, food production and poverty eradication.
This week, UN Women marks three International observances that reflect women's key role in development , beginning with International Day for Rural Women on October 15th , World Food Day on October 16th and International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on October 17th . Rural women, the majority of whom depend on natural resources and agriculture for their livelihoods, [1] make up over a quarter of the total world population. [2] In developing countries, rural women represent approximately 43 per cent of the agricultural labour force, [3] and produce, process and prepare much of the food available, thereby giving them primary responsibility for food security. Bearing in mind that 76 per cent of the extreme poor live in rural areas, [4] ensuring rural women’s access to productive agricultural resources empowers women and contributes to decreasing world hunger and poverty. [5] UN Women supports the leadership and participation of rural women in shaping laws, poli...