By Dorcas Jonah
The National Council for Women’s Societies (NCWS) has commended the rural women’s resilience and invaluable contribution to economy and food sufficiency.
The National President of NCWS, Hajiya Lami Lau, said this in a statement in commemoration of the International Day of the Rural Women on Saturday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the day is celebrated annually on Oct.15 to honour millions of women living in remote, rural places.
NAN also reports that the day celebrates rural women’s modest achievements and contributions towards rural development and agriculture.
The theme for the 2022 edition is “Rural Women Cultivating Good Food for All”.
Lau said that the theme was very apt and highlighted the pivotal role that rural women and girls played in the sustainability of global food chain.
”This role becomes very relevant as the world battles climate change and potential food crisis.
”Accirding to the UN Women, rural women are agents of development. They play a crucial role towards achievement of transformational economic, environmental and social changes required for sustainable development.
”Suffice it to say that the efforts of rural women put food on the tables of families, communities and the nation,” she said
Lau said in spite of the contributions of the rural women, they still constituted the bulk of poorly paid and unpaid labourers engaged in subsistence agricultural production, processing, preparing and distribution.
She said that women in rural communities had limited access to capital, credit, land, resources, health care and education.
The national president said that the rural women made more vulnerable by the increasing insecurity and incidences of gender-based violence.
”Empowering women with skills and start-up capital has become very essential, not only for the well-being as individuals, families and rural communities, but to build their agency to contribute meaningfully to national economic development.
”This is because of their huge presence in the agricultural workforce worldwide..
”To our hardworking and beautiful sisters, we celebrate your resilience and invaluable contribution to the economy and food sufficiency,” she said. (NAN)
