International Day of Rural Women
Today we celebrate the incredible contributions of women in rural communities around the world! The International Day of Rural women helps to empower an important and often overlooked section of society. The contributions of these women are undeniable – smallholder agriculture produces nearly 80% of food in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa and supports the livelihoods of 2.5 billion people. However, women in rural areas often suffer disproportionately – women farmers may be just as productive as their male counterparts, but are less able to access land, credit, and obtain lower prices for their crops, due to gender-related inequalities.
This year’s day of recognition is more important than ever with the effects of climate change at the forefront. Many women in rural communities rely on rainfall to support agriculture and when rainfall is scarce, rural communities face food insecurity and limited livelihood options. Moreover, alternative water sources may be contaminated by livestock faeces which can spread harmful diseases such as cholera.
The work that drop4drop does throughout Africa and India primarily impacts rural communities – providing safe and accessible water supplies for these rural women helps to eliminate a barrier to development. To help alleviate the hardships placed upon these women in rural communities you can donate as little as £3 to provide an individual with access to clean water who is currently living without. All donations to drop4drop go directly to funding projects! To keep up to date with our projects follow our social media @drop4drop!