The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day – Empower Rural Women, end poverty and hunger – highlights the need to tackle gender inequalities in the rural sector. Women living and working in rural areas are often perceived and treated as second-class citizens. Despite the low level of recognition given to their work, their socio-economic contribution to the welfare of their households and communities is immense.
Follow the interview with ILO Gender Bureau Director Jane Hodges who discusses the many facets of the plight of rural women. She elaborates on the important issues of the time including the current situation of gender equality in the rural sector, the reasons why women in rural areas are generally poorer, and examples of traditions and customs that put women at disadvantaged position.
The ILO has implemented a number of projects that promote gender equality in rural areas and one of them is through the Cooperative Facility for Africa, which promotes cooperative development across the continent. Likewise, the ILO recently organized a participatory workshop at the Cooperative College of Kenya to discuss strategies for encouraging women’s participation on co-operative boards.
Click here to read the full interview and understand how cooperatives contributes to gender equality.
Source: ILO website
