International Women’s Day by United Nations Agencies 1:54pm 7th Mar, 2012   Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General"s Message    Gender equality and the empowerment of women are gaining ground worldwide. Despite this momentum, there is a long way to go before women and girls can be said to enjoy the fundamental rights, freedom and dignity that are their birthright and that will guarantee their well-being.    Nowhere is this more apparent than in the world’s rural areas. Rural women and girls — to whom this year’s International Women’s Day is devoted — make up one quarter of the global population, yet routinely figure at the bottom of every economic, social and political indicator, from income and education to health to participation in decision-making.    Numbering almost half a billion smallholder farmers and landless workers, rural women are a major part of the agricultural labour force. They perform most of the unpaid care work in rural areas. Yet rural women continue to be held back in fulfilling their potential.    If rural women had equal access to productive resources, agricultural yields would rise by 4 per cent, strengthening food and nutrition security and relieving as many as 150 million people from hunger.    Rural women, if given the chance, could also help end the hidden development tragedy of stunting, which affects almost 200 million children worldwide.    Discriminatory laws and practices affect not just women but entire communities and nations.    Countries where women lack land ownership rights or access to credit have significantly more malnourished children.    It makes no sense that women farmers receive only 5 per cent of agricultural extension services. Investing in rural women is a smart investment in a nation’s development.    The plight of the world’s rural women and girls mirrors that of women and girls throughout society — from the persistence of the glass ceiling to pervasive violence at home, at work and in conflict; from the prioritization of sons for education to the hundreds of thousands of women who die each year in the act of giving life for want of basic obstetric care.    Even those countries with the best records still maintain disparity in what women and men are paid for the same work, and see continuing under-representation of women in political and business decision-making.    On this International Women’s Day, I urge Governments, civil society and the private sector to commit to gender equality and the empowerment of women — as a fundamental human right and a force for the benefit of all. The energy, talent and strength of women and girls represent humankind’s most valuable untapped natural resource.    Message of Michelle Bachelet Executive, Director of UN Women.    This International Women’s Day, I join women around the globe in solidarity for human rights, dignity and equality. This sense of mission drives me and millions of people around the world to pursue justice and inclusion.    Looking back at the first year of UN Women, I applaud every individual, government and organization working for women’s empowerment and gender equality. The creation of UN Women has coincided with deep changes in our world –from rising protests against inequality to uprisings for freedom and democracy in the Arab world.    These events have strengthened my conviction that a sustainable future can only be reached by women, men and young people enjoying equality together.    From the government that changes its laws, to the enterprise that provides decent work and equal pay, to the parents that teach their daughter and son that all human beings should be treated the same, equality depends on each of us.    During the past century, since the observance of the first International Women’s Day, we have witnessed a transformation in women’s legal rights, educational achievements, and participation in public life.    In all regions, countries have expanded women’s legal entitlements. Women have taken many steps forward. More women are exercising leadership in politics and business, more girls are going to school, and more women survive childbirth and can plan their families.    Yet while important progress has been made, no country can claim to be entirely free from gender-based discrimination. This inequality can be seen in persistent gender wage gaps and unequal opportunities, in low representation of women in leadership in public office and the private sector, in child marriage and missing girls due to son preference, and in continuing violence against women in all its forms.    Nowhere are disparities and barriers greater than in rural areas for women and girls. Rural women and girls comprise one in four people worldwide.    They work long hours with little or no pay and produce a large proportion of the food grown, especially in subsistence agriculture. They are farmers, entrepreneurs and leaders, and their contributions sustain their families, communities, nations and all of us.    Yet they face some of the worst inequities in access to social services and land and other productive assets. And this deprives them and the world of the realization of their full potential, which brings me to my main point on this International Women’s Day.    No enduring solution to the major changes of our day—from climate change to political and economic instability—can be solved without the full empowerment and participation of the world’s women. We simply can no longer afford to leave women out.    Women’s full and equal participation in the political and economic arena is fundamental to democracy and justice, which people are demanding. Equal rights and opportunity underpin healthy economies and societies.    Providing women farmers with equal access to resources would result in 100 to 150 million fewer hungry people.    Providing women with income, land rights and credit would mean fewer malnourished children.    Studies show that higher levels of gender equality correlate positively with higher levels of per capita gross national product.    Opening economic opportunities to women would significantly raise economic growth and reduce poverty. The time is now.    Every human being has the right to live in peace and dignity. Every human being has the right to shape their future and the futures of their countries. That is the call for equality that I hear wherever I go.    For this reason UN Women will place special focus this year on advancing women’s economic empowerment and political participation and leadership.    Today on International Women’s Day, let us reaffirm our commitment to women’s rights and move forward with courage and determination. Let us defend human rights, the inherent dignity and worth of the human person, and the equal rights of men and women.    Some Facts and Figures on Rural Women    Countries with the highest levels of hunger also have very high levels of gender inequality. Gender inequality is a major cause and effect of hunger and poverty: it is estimated that 60 percent of chronically hungry people are women and girls.    In the context of Latin America 110 women aged 20 to 59 are living in poor rural households for every 100 men in Colombia and 114 women for every 100 men in Chile.    In sub-Saharan Africa (Cameroon, Malawi, Namibia, Rwanda and Zimbabwe) there are more than 120 women aged 20 to 59 living in poor households for every 100 men.    Estimates suggest that if women had the same access to productive resources as men, they could increase yields on their farms by 20–30 percent, lifting 100-150 million out of hunger.    Equal access to resources will raise total agricultural output in developing countries by 4 percent, thereby contributing to both food security and economic growth. The OECD estimates from show that only 5 percent of aid directed to the agricultural sector specifically focused on gender equality.    Women constitute half of the agricultural labour force in least developed countries.    For those developing countries for which data are available, only between 10 and 20 percent of all land holders are women.    In most countries women in rural areas who work for wages are more likely than men to hold seasonal, part-time and low-wage jobs and women receive lower wages for the same work. The share of female smallholder farmers who can access credit is 5-10 percentage points lower than for male smallholders. In rural sub-Saharan Africa, women in smallholder agriculture access less than 10 percent of available credit.    Only one third of rural women receive prenatal care compared to 50 per cent in developing regions as a whole.    In Least Developed Countries (LDCs), the electrification rate ranges from below 10 to 40 per cent and the percentage of population with improved access to drinking water in rural areas ranges from 9 to 97 per cent with significant disparities between urban and rural areas. People in LDCs rely on open fires and traditional cooking stoves (e.g. wood, crop waste and charcoal) to earn a living and feed their families. Women walk long distances every day to collect fuels and water.    Access to new technology is crucial in maintaining and improving agricultural productivity. Gender gaps exist for a wide range of agricultural technologies, including machines and tools, improved plant varieties and animal breeds, fertilizers, pest control measures and management techniques. Visit the related web page
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