On this International Day of Rural Women, we call for bold action to advance the equality, rights, and empowerment of women and girls living in rural settings. Every day, they feed communities, protect the environment, and power sustainable development. Investing in them is both an act of justice and a safeguard for our shared future.
For generations, women in rural settings have driven collective movements for change: mobilizing communities, influencing policies, and championing vital issues such as climate justice. Their leadership continues to build bridges between local action and global progress, even as rural areas are hit hardest by extreme poverty and food insecurity, impacting women, youth, and Indigenous Peoples the most. If current trends continue, 351 million women and girls will still live in extreme poverty by 2030.
Amid these challenges, Verene Ntakirutimana's story from Rwanda demonstrates how empowering women in rural settings creates tangible, lasting change. With support from the Joint Programme on Rural Women's Economic Empowerment, she transitioned from subsistence farming to a thriving small business. Her success shifted community attitudes: challenging stereotypes, promoting shared decision-making, and inspiring others to follow her example.
This year's theme 'Rural Women Rising' is both a tribute and a call to action. Advancing their livelihoods, leadership, rights, and resilience - as set out in the Beijing+30 Action Agenda - is essential. Initiatives such as the International Year of Women Farmers in 2026 and the Inter-American Decade for the Rights of All Women, Adolescents and Girls in Rural Settings (2024-2034), as well as community movements like Women to Kilimanjaro, offer powerful opportunities to make their work visible, their voices heard, and their rights recognized.
When rural women rise, fields flourish, families thrive, and societies transform, propelling us toward the vision of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the SDGs.
