By the Witness Radio Team.
As the world marks the International Day of Rural Women on 15 October 2026, with the theme “Rural Women Farmers Caring for Mother Nature,” the spotlight shines on women whose tireless efforts nourish food systems, shield biodiversity, and safeguard the natural resources that sustain entire communities.
This year’s celebration carries special weight as the United Nations declares 2026 the International Year of the Woman Farmer, spotlighting women’s vital roles across agri-food systems, from planting seeds to driving trade. This recognition opens the door to challenge the persistent inequalities that threaten women’s livelihoods and silence their voices in decisions about agriculture, land, and the environment.
In its statement marking the day, UN Women called for rural women’s rights, resources and decision-making power to match their contributions to food systems and environmental protection.
“On this day, we celebrate their knowledge and leadership in building a more resilient future. Yet their rights, resources and decision-making power too often fall short of their contributions,” UN Women said.
The agency called on governments and other groups to ensure women have enforceable rights to land, water, and natural resources. It also asked for better access to finance, markets, technology, and agricultural services, as well as decent work, social protection, and strong infrastructure. The agency highlighted the need to recognize, reduce, and share women’s unpaid care work.
These calls to action highlight the stark inequalities rural women endure. They are the backbone of community nourishment and environmental stewardship, yet too often they lack the resources and influence needed to improve their lives and shape the future.
Ambassador Ada Francisca de Asis Hernández Rivera, the Permanent Representative of the Dominican Republic to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Program (WFP), underscored rural women’s importance in eradicating poverty, ending hunger and transforming agri-food systems into more inclusive, resilient and sustainable systems.
She noted that women contribute to food production, biodiversity conservation, sustainable ecosystem management and the resilience of families and communities. Yet many still face barriers to accessing land, financial services, technology, information, markets, and technical assistance, as well as opportunities to participate in decision-making.
“These inequalities, of course, will reduce their opportunities and limit the potential of family farming to contribute completely to sustainable development,” she said.
Karina David, a representative of the Intercontinental Network of Organic Farmers Organizations (INFO) and the Rural Women in Action Network, also highlighted the gap between recognizing women’s contributions and addressing the inequalities they face.
David cited findings indicating that 75 percent of agricultural policy documents across 68 countries recognize women’s roles and challenges, but only 19 percent contain clear gender equality goals.
She argued that closing this gap is not only a matter of equality but also essential to improving food security, household incomes, resilience and rural development.
“Gender inequality has a real cost, and if I were to close the gap between women and men in the agri-food system, it could add almost $1 trillion to the global economy and reduce food insecurity for 45 million people,” she said.
The findings make it clear: governments must move beyond words and turn promises into real policies, funding, and programs that break down the barriers holding women farmers back.
The scale of women’s participation in agri-food systems further underscores why empowering them must be a priority. Tako Ndiaye, a team leader on gender issues in FAO’s Division for Rural Transformation and Gender Equality, cited findings from a report on the status of women in agri-food systems showing that 41 percent of working women globally are employed in these systems.
She noted that agri-food systems are particularly important sources of livelihoods for women in sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia, where 70 percent of working women in each region are employed in the sector.
Ndiaye also emphasized the importance of empowering women farmers, their organizations, and networks to participate effectively in family farming policymaking. She called for stronger roles for gender experts and women’s organizations in monitoring the implementation of policy commitments.
Women farmers do more than feed rural economies; they champion environmental sustainability. They conserve seeds, nurture biodiversity, manage precious water, and heal degraded land, using wisdom and practices that keep ecosystems thriving and help communities withstand the challenges of climate change.
Yet their ability to continue this vital work depends on access to land, financial support, modern technologies, and other resources that let them farm sustainably and adapt to a changing environment.
UN Women has called on governments, financial institutions, businesses, and development partners to invest directly in rural women and remove barriers that limit their economic independence and environmental leadership.
The agency also stressed that rural women must have a meaningful role in shaping agricultural policies and decisions on funding allocation for climate action, biodiversity conservation, and land restoration.
