Re: Rural Women's day – October 15

On Wed, Oct 14, 2009 at 6:40 PM, Tom Mangattuthazhe Thomas <tmangatt@gmail.com> wrote:

Rural Women's day – October 15 

The idea of a World Rural Women's Day to be devoted each year to honor rural women began at a UN Conference for Women in Beijing in September 1995. This was considered a practical way of obtaining recognition and support for the multiple roles of rural women who are mostly farmers and small entrepreneurs. Rural women make up more than a quarter of the world population. They contribute to the wellbeing of their families and the development of rural economies. Because of their key role in food production and food security, it was decided that the World Rural Women's Day fall on the 15 October. Rural Women's day provides rural women and their organizations with a focal point to : Raise the profile of rural women, sensitise both governments and public to their crucial, yet largely unrecognised roles, and promote action in their support.

Facts and figures  

 Rural women, mainly farmers, are at least 1.6 billion and represent more than a quarter of the total world population.  
 Women produce on average more than half of all the food that is grown: up to 8O per cent in Africa, 6O per cent in Asia, between 3O and 4O per cent in Latin America and Western countries.  
 Women own only 2 per cent of the land, and receive only one per cent of all agricultural credit.  
 Only 5 per cent of all agricultural extension resources are directed to women.  
 Women represent two third of all illiterate people.  
 The number of rural women living in poverty has doubled since 197O. 

What would tomorrow look like if 85% of national political leaders were female instead of male? A heightened participation of women in decision making roles would undoubtedly have an impact on public policy. Perhaps it would allow women the same basic rights as men. It would lead to an increase in women's incomes or a greater quality of life for all marginalised groups. A greater participation of women in leadership positions could strengthen economies, accelerate development, and improve social programs, resulting in increased benefits for all. The future benefits of women's involvement in leadership positions will not be realized without considerable effort. Although women's representation in decision making roles has improved, women are still under represented. This under representation does not exclude rural areas. In fact, rural women are often more disadvantaged and isolated than their urban counterparts. 

Today's rural woman, like her ancestors, is often an unrecognized leader – a primary producer of food, the pillar of her family, and a champion of sustainable development. However, she is faced with considerable deterrents from participating in recognized leadership positions. She has limited time and information, scarce finances, and faces significant cultural barriers. 

Before rural women can represent societal interests in leadership positions, rural women must be recognized as leaders, not only by society, but also by themselves. This recognition is hindered by a universal norm that values women as caregivers rather than leaders, and by rural women's limited access to opportunity. 

Societal expectations often cause women to believe they have to choose between having a family - being a "good mother"- and obtaining a time consuming career, the career being a popular entrance point into leadership positions. The majority of men do not face this same dilemma. On top of this, many societies hold the ideal that the political arena is not the place for a woman. Women would need a lot of confidence to disregard this societal disapproval and motivate support from family, friends, and peers. Confidence is one trait that is very difficult to obtain without a strong base. On a global basis, women have less access to education than men and face higher rates of poverty. They suffer from more acts of violence and have less autonomy over their own health. All of these facts contribute to a woman's well being, her identity, and thus her ability to participate in decision making positions. In order for rural women to become leaders they must be given the opportunity to fulfil their potentials.

Leadership positions have traditionally been filled by men and as a result, the political culture is dominated by male networks and a male approach. In order to overcome this male dominated political culture and gain the support necessary to secure a political position, rural women need to build networks with other women's groups and rural organizations. Women often have limited access to two types of information necessary to involve themselves in leadership positions: information about essential issues, and information about how to get involved. Traditional channels of information, such as newspapers may not reach rural women due to distribution costs in rural areas, and a much more serious problem, illiteracy. Illiteracy is a problem more prevalent in women than in men. Moreover, information that is accessible to rural women may not provoke interest as it may not be directly linked to their concerns. Knowledgeable and motivated rural women are often disadvantaged in comparison to men in terms of gaining information about political opportunities because they lack comparable political networks.

Without financial independence, women do not have the time, the self-esteem, or the status to participate in leadership positions. On average, rural women have lower incomes than men and often have worse access to credit and land.

Recommendations for Rural Women's development 

1. Implement training programs to build women's self-esteem and leadership capabilities, and overcome certain gender-related barriers.
2. Implement programs that support women's rights and access to basic resources, such as health care and education.
3. Initiate media campaigns to sensitize both men and women on two issues, (1) the importance and contribution of rural women to rural life, and (2) the importance of women's participation in leadership.
4. Implement training programs in two areas: gender issues and leadership.
5. Implement a gender focus in all areas of operations
6. Implement programs for literacy and use of new communication technologies, provide access to different forms of communications such as the internet, local newspapers, magazines etc.

Tom Mangattuthazhe
(Secretary, DCPF)



--
Tom Mangattuthazhe
Secretary, Diphu Citizens Peace Forum
Secretary, United Christian Forum
Secretary,Manja Christian Forum
Member,Northeast Peace Team
Mentor, Diphu Peace Team
Rector, Mission Home, Manja
Principal, Little Flower School, Manja
Correspondence
Bishop'sHouse
Diphu - 782460
Ph.03671- 275003
Mobile.09435066461
Emai.tmangatt@gmail.com
www.missionhomemanja.com
http://profile.to/tommangattuthazhe/

--
Palash Biswas
Pl Read:
http://nandigramunited.blogspot.com/