March 22 is World Water Day – a day to celebrate and protect water. I’d like to extend a personal invitation to you and your family to take part in this global day of action. With water slowly becoming one of our planet's most cherished commodities, what are you doing to save this precious life giver, one required by all human beings for survival? A drop of water is flexible. A drop of water is powerful. A drop of water is in demand. Water is at the core of sustainable … [Read more...]
International Day of Rural Women celebrated OCT 15!
October 14, 2013 by
The first International Day of Rural Women was observed on 15 October 2008. It recognizes “the critical role and contribution of rural women, including indigenous women, in enhancing agricultural and rural development, improving food security and eradicating rural poverty.” Rural women play a critical role in the rural economies of both developed and developing countries. In most parts of the developing world they participate in crop production and livestock care, provide food, water and … [Read more...]
Tanzanian women take matters into their own hands, pooling resources
January 17, 2013 by
“You need to join forces if you want to stand strong,” explains Batuli Massawe, a 46-year-old mushroom farmer who has become a respected entrepreneur due largely to training and solidarity lending in the community of Morogoro, 190 km west of Tanzania’s capital. In a country where agriculture provides the main source of livelihood for a large majority of the population — accounting for more than two-thirds of employment and almost half of Tanzania’s GDP — the the agricultural sector is … [Read more...]
Andes Woman, Professor Luz Gomez Pando is Taking Action
October 6, 2012 by
For centuries, quinoa and amaranth have been cultivated in the High Andes of Peru. These highly nutritious cereals were even consumed by the Incas. Today, demand for these products is on the increase in places like North America, Japan and in European countries. Plant breeder, Professor Luz Gomez Pando, is trying to develop new varieties of quinoa and amaranth that have a higher yield and are more nutritious. She is using a nuclear technique in her work, which uses radiation to … [Read more...]
Nicaragua – Women who managed to produce their own food
June 30, 2012 by
Women who managed to produce their own food On her first visit to Nicaragua, WFP Executive Director, Ertharin Cousin, met a group of women who managed to produce their own food, generate income and even open bank accounts for the first time in their lives. Cousin asked the women about their husbands’ feelings in regards to the women’s roles in a male-led community. MANAGUA. The Russian-built Mi 171 helicopter landed softly in a field of the Apantillo community, some 200 kilometers … [Read more...]
Women farmers worldwide need support – Take Action!
March 15, 2012 by
Women face widespread restrictions with their ability to buy, sell or inherit land, open a savings account, borrow money or sell their crops at market. They also are more likely than men to lack access to rudimentary basics of farming such as fertilizers, water, tillers, transportation, improved crop and animal varieties, and extension services. (..) “The global sidelining of women farmers puts our food security at great risk,” said Mark Holderness, Executive Secretary for the Global Forum on … [Read more...]
Expert Group Meeting (EGM) on ‘Enabling rural women’s economic empowerment’
January 18, 2012 by
Expert group meeting Enabling rural women's economic empowerment: institutions, opportunities and participation Accra, Ghana, 20-23 September 2011 Introduction In accordance with its multi-year programme of work for 2010-2014, the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) will consider ‘The empowerment of rural women and their role in poverty and hunger eradication, development and current challenges' as its priority theme during its fifty-sixth session in 2012. In order … [Read more...]
