ISLAMABAD: International Women’s Day will be observed today across the world including Pakistan to celebrate women’s achievements throughout history and across the nations.
It is also known as the United Nations (UN) Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace. Thousands of events celebrated not just on this day but throughout March to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women.
Organisations, governments, charities and women’s groups around the world choose different themes each year that reflect global and local gender issues.
Recognizing the critical role and contribution of rural women, the theme of International Women’s Day 2012 is “Empower Rural Women -End Hunger and Poverty”.
In some parts of the world, women represent 70 percent of the agricultural workforce, comprising 43 percent of agricultural workers worldwide.
Estimates reveal 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.
Healthcare, education, gender inequality and limited access to credit, however, have posed a number of challenges for rural women.
Further, the global food and economic crisis and climate change have aggravated the situation. It is estimated that 60 percent of chronically hungry people are women and girls.
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