Let’s help uplift the rural women

EDITOR — The International Rural Women’s Day was commemorated on Saturday.

One of the most touching quotes about women was coined by former British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, who said: “If you want something ask a man; if you want something done ask a woman” This is even more apt for rural women. Unfortunately they are at a great disadvantage. For a woman living in the rural areas it was very hard to be considered as an important person. There was no one to recognise the greatest work they do to develop the country. Education and entrepreneurship skills were given to women who are in town mostly forgetting those who are in rural areas.

Women in rural areas are the ones who provide food for the country as many farming activities are done by them. Sometimes most of them were failing to produce high quality products that those who were educated would not visit them and educate them so they were lacking knowledge. Women in rural areas now are leading even in cattle rearing so we can see they are contributing much to the development of the country.

As Zimbabweans let us be part of them in everything and support them in the good work they are doing. Also the Government should come up with programmes that develop the knowledge and skills of these women in rural areas so that there will be high yields in food production.

To those who have knowledge with ideas that can help rural women let’s make an effort to support them. Special thanks to (NGOs) that are working in developing the rural women. Recently there was a training workshop that was organised by an organisation called Kunzwana Women Association in which they were supported by the Women’s University in Africa to educate and give entrepreneurship skills to the women in rural areas. This shows that in Zimbabwe rural women are also considered as important people.

The day was put forward by international NGOs at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995 and they suggested that October 15 should be the day to celebrate rural women.

They suggested this date because the 16th of October is the World Food Day so they decided that the day should be on the eve of the World Food Day so as to highlight the role played by the rural women in food production and food security.

It was finally established by the general assembly on 18 December 2007 and started to be commemorated on 15 October 2008. Let us all join hands as Zimbabweans together with the whole world in celebrating our rural women. Simbarashe Rusere, Via Email