Factor in the needs of rural women

Last Wednesday, March 8, was marked worldwide as International Women’s Day. Also known as United Nations (UN) Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace, it is a day set aside to annually reflect on issues affecting women and highlight the progress and contribution of women in nation building.

Since 1995, the year it was initiated, a theme is picked to draw global attention to a peculiar challenge/needs confronting women everywhere in the world each year. This year, the theme for the global celebration is: “Women in the changing world of work: planet 50-50 by 2030”. Ghana, however, adopted the theme: “Economic empowerment of rural women: A tool for sustainable development.” 

Women everywhere are confronted with similar challenges. They battle discrimination, stigmatisation and perceptions that limit their progress at their work places.

Through these annual observances, the world has come to acknowledge that women who are mostly engaged in the informal sectors, endure grueling and back-breaking tasks that take a toll on their health, with next to nothing to show for their drudgery. And at the same time, they serve as care givers and domestic workers for their families.

Sadly, in spite of the man hours that women in general put in daily, it is estimated that majority of the world’s 1.3 billion absolute poor are women. Even though the world has acknowledged the need to protect women, they continue to suffer domestic violence and abuse, resulting in severe disabilities and fatalities, as well as discrimination.

Admittedly much progress has been made to protect and promote women’s right since the inception of the global celebration. More and more women are getting higher education and taking on jobs that previously were the sole preserve of men.

Internationally, women are fighting for political leadership and in Ghana women are forging ahead and assuming responsible and demanding leadership positions.

But there is a yawning gap to be bridged, which requires commitment on the part of society to pull women along as partners in development.

In Ghana, the focus of the celebrations will dwell on the empowerment of rural women in the changing work environment. Most of our rural women are engaged in agriculture but often do not own the basic means of production - land. As a result they do not derive maximum benefit from their toils. Again, those of them engaged in agro processing continue to use Stone Age technologies which do not fit in today’s world.

Ghana’s theme must, therefore, go to enhance the activities of the rural woman through technology transfers to ease their drudgery, as well as land reform policies that will enable them to increase their output and earnings at the same time.

As the world once again marks the day, it should not just be an annual talk shop for celebrities and policy makers but it should engender pragmatic policies that will further enhance the lives of women and girls so together they can also contribute their quota towards nation building and the creation of a better society for mankind.

Hopefully, the issues confronting women will be a continuous conversation on the table and not an annual event to be forgotten when the day is over.

 Let’s pull all women along as partners in development, especially those in the deprived rural communities.