close up of a women looking into the camera
Daed Ismaiel, leader of one of the few women's cooperatives in Lebanon that still produce a traditional bread called Mallet El Smid. She and other rural producers participated in a UN Women project to sell their handicrafts in Beirut.
Photo:©UN Women

Rural women confront the global cost-of-living crisis

Achieving gender equality and empowering women is not only the right thing to do but is a critical ingredient in the fight against extreme poverty, hunger and malnutrition.

Giving women the same opportunities as men could rise agricultural production by 2.5 to 4 per cent in the poorest regions and the number of malnourished people could be reduced by 12 to 17 percent.

Yet they face significant discrimination when it comes to land and livestock ownership, equal pay, participation in decision-making entities, and access to resources, credit and market.

In addition to this background, the war in Ukraine has had a devastating impact not just on Ukrainian women, but on women and girls worldwide, especially rural women.

According to the latest UN Women report, the current disruption to the food and energy markets has only intensified gender disparities, causing rates of food insecurity, malnutrition, and energy poverty.

The ensuing cost-of-living crisis has acutely threatened women’s livelihoods, health, and well-being. It has been propelled by the war’s disruptions of oil and gas supplies and staple food commodities, alongside the skyrocketing food, fuel, and fertilizer prices.

Alarming increases in gender-based violence, transactional sex for food and survival, child marriage (with girls forced to leave school), and women’s and girls’ unpaid care and domestic workloads are further endangering women’s and girls’ physical and mental health.

This International Day, under the theme "Rural women confront the global cost-of-living crisis", let’s recognize the work of these heroines in the food systems of the world, and let's claim rural areas with equal opportunities for all.

Rural women are key to Zero Hunger

Get to know the numbers: rural women and girls

Discover through this UN Women infographic the challenges and consequences faced by rural women and girls compared to men or urban locations.

Infographic

The Invaluable Contribution of Rural Women to Development

The crucial role that women and girls play in ensuring the sustainability of rural households and communities, improving rural livelihoods and overall wellbeing, has been increasingly recognized. Women account for a substantial proportion of the agricultural labour force, including informal work, and perform the bulk of unpaid care and domestic work within families and households in rural areas. They make significant contributions to agricultural production, food security and nutrition, land and natural resource management, and building climate resilience.

Even so, women and girls in rural areas suffer disproportionately from multi-dimensional poverty. While extreme poverty has declined globally, the world’s 1 billion people, who continue to live in unacceptable conditions of poverty, are heavily concentrated in rural areas. Poverty rates in rural areas across most regions are higher than those in urban areas. Yet smallholder agriculture produces nearly 80% of food in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa and supports the livelihoods of some 2.5 billion people. Women farmers may be as productive and enterprising as their male counterparts but are less able to access land, credit, agricultural inputs, markets, and high-value agrifood chains and obtain lower prices for their crops.

Structural barriers and discriminatory social norms continue to constrain women’s decision-making power and political participation in rural households and communities. Women and girls in rural areas lack equal access to productive resources and assets, public services, such as education and health care, and infrastructure, including water and sanitation, while much of their labour remains invisible and unpaid, even as their workloads become increasingly heavy due to the out-migration of men. Globally, with few exceptions, every gender and development indicator for which data are available reveals that rural women fare worse than rural men and urban women and that they disproportionately experience poverty, exclusion, and the effects of climate change.

 

Ilustration Rural Women

Did you know?

  • On average, women make up more than 40 percent of the agricultural labor force in developing countries, ranging from 20 percent in Latin America to 50 percent or more in parts of Africa and Asia.
  • Less than 15% of landholders worldwide are women.
  • In some countries, over 50% of girls from poor rural households will be married as children.

Source: ILO 2018

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Global food and energy markets are feeling the strain of the war. As the conflict disrupts production and export processes, these essential commodities are becoming less and less available. Producing is more expensive, and food prices are spiking abruptly, affecting significantly and disproportionally women and girls living in rural areas. In a new policy paper, UN Women explores the interrelated crises being driven and exacerbated by the war. Here are 4 key things to know

Agricultural work done by women in Nepal.

UN Women supports the leadership and participation of rural women in shaping laws, strategies, policies, and programmes on all issues that affect their lives. Training equips them with the skills to pursue new livelihoods and adapt technology to their needs. Check their website for more information, personal stories, and digital material to spread the word about the role of these brave women. 

 

 

 

an abstract illustration of people engaged in an event

International days and weeks are occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity. The existence of international days predates the establishment of the United Nations, but the UN has embraced them as a powerful advocacy tool. We also mark other UN observances.