The invaluable contribution of rural women to development

                  This day recognizes the role of rural women, including indigenous women, in agricultural and rural development, particularly in developing countries. Rural women make up over a quarter of the total world population and represent approximately 43 per cent of the agricultural labour force. They depend largely on natural resources and agriculture for their livelihood and the livelihood of others; they produce process and prepare much of the food available, thereby giving them primary responsibility for food security. Today, 76 per cent of the extremely poor live in rural areas. Ensuring rural women’s access to productive agricultural resources is key to decreasing world hunger and poverty, and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.