International Day of Rural Women: Giving Back to the Pillars of Society
On October 15th, the entire world comes together to honour rural women and their contributions to society. These women have a critical role in ensuring food and nutrition security on an international level. In addition to producing income, enhancing rural livelihoods and general well-being for their families and communities. Also, the women support agriculture and rural businesses, as well as the local and global economies.
Despite many of the challenges they face on a daily basis, they are able to fulfil their responsibilities and beyond. These women are a crucial part of our society and deserve to feel appreciated.
Challenges That Egyptian Rural Women Face
Strong traditions and extremely difficult social and economic conditions have been plaguing Egyptian women in rural areas. Most of these women have access to little or no education, because their parents do not allow them to leave the house and engage with the rest of the community. In Rural Egypt, where a boy’s education is favoured above a girl’s education, gender social roles are more prominent.
This is especially true for families who live in rural poverty. The UN affirms this, stating that 22% of women in rural Egypt have never attended school. For women in those areas, limited access to education is a serious issue that has a severely detrimental effect on both their economic and social status. The pandemic has also greatly affected their health and their inability to access proper health services.
Powering Through A Global Pandemic
Egyptian rural women are severely disadvantaged and have encountered numerous hurdles over the course of the pandemic. They have had difficulty getting adequate health services, vital medicines, and immunizations in Egypt. This is due to the fast spread of COVID-19 across the country. Furthermore, limiting social norms and gender stereotypes can obstruct their access to health care. As a result, many women have experienced isolation, misinformation, and a lack of access to crucial technologies. Those technologies may improve their work environment and personal lives.
Therefore, acknowledging what these women accomplish and how much they give to our society is pivitol. This would allow the country to assist them in developing and improving their work environment, as well as receiving their rights to good education and healthcare.
If you take away one thing from this article, let it be to always express gratitude for our rural women. Their contribution to the development of the agriculture sector is second to none.
