Rural Women Feed 2.5 billion people in Africa – UN Women

Paul Orude

The UN Women Country representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Beatrice Eyong, has disclosed that rural women feed 2.5 billion people in sub-Saharan Africa.

Eyong, who applauded the strides of rural women, disclosed that the category contributes about 80 percent of the agricultural labour force in Africa

She disclosed this at Badel community in Dass Local government area of Bauchi State, on Tuesday, October 15, in celebration of the International Day of the Rural Woman.

“Today we are celebrating the rural woman,” she said.

“We create awareness of the key issues of women and their rights, poverty, hunger and malnutrition faced by women in rural areas.

“Women account about 70 to 80 percent of agricultural labour force including informal work and perform the bulk of unpaid care work including domestic and household which families in rural areas hardly need.

“Small holder agriculture produces nearly 80 percent of food in sub-Saharan Africa and supports the livelihood of 2.5billion people fed by rural women.”

She said this year’s theme ‘Rural women cultivating good food for all’ recognizes the farm produce rural women cultivate as good food.

The UN Women Country representative appreciated the struggles rural women face daily to ensure that their family stayed out of poverty despite the myriad of challenges bedeviling them.

Eyong explained that the key objective of the rural women’s day is to eradicate discrimination faced by women in rural areas.

In his remarks, the Emir of Dass Bilyaminu Othman, commended the efforts of the UN Women in uplifting the lives of rural women through various interventions.

He said in spite of difficulty faced by the women, 60 percent of the land is cultivated by them.

He lauded their efforts as they support and contribute to the well-being of their families.

He assured that the machine donated to the community will be used judiciously in upgrading the standard of living of the women of Badel community and environs.

He charged them to use it well as a community and warned that the machine is not for one individual but the whole community, and any defaulter would be dealt with.