admin | October 5, 2015
The Women’s World Summit Foundation, or WWSF, has announced the launch of a new campaign: 17 Days of Activism for the empowerment of rural women and their communities. The campaign will run from October 1-17, culminating in the International Day for Rural Women (October 15), World Food Day (October 16), and the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (October 17).
The campaign is inspired by two factors: first, 20 years of selecting, celebrating, and awarding the WWSF Prize for women’s creativity in rural life to rural women leaders; and second, the annual International Day of Rural Women. This day was co-founded by WWSF at the 1995 Beijing Women’s Conference, and was declared a United Nations Day in 2007.
Rural women are the backbone of many societies, especially in the developing world. Globally, women make up 43% of the agricultural labour force, and as much as 80% in some countries. Rural women face economic discrimination and are among the poorest people in the world. Many work in unpaid, family-related care or low-paid jobs.
These economic factors are often the source of the increased marginalization, violence, and suffering that hinder the fulfilment of these women’s human rights. Rural women’s contributions to addressing malnutrition, hunger, poverty, climate change, and opportunities for education and peace building are immeasurable. But in many countries, rural women still do not receive the protection, support, and acknowledgement they deserve.
Find out more about the 17 Days campaign here: http://womensection.woman.ch/index.php/en/introduction
To read or download a kit you can use in your programming or campaigning, go to: http://womensection.woman.ch/images/17_days/kits/2015_17days_kit_en.pdf