In a ceremony attended by guests from around the world, the specialized agency for agriculture and rural development in the Inter-American System disclosed that its initiatives for rural women will foster and promote financial independence, entrepreneurship and the increased participation of women in decision-making forums.
San José, Costa Rica, 16 October 2018 (IICA). The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) celebrated International Day for Rural Women and announced new and innovative work plans to empower and give greater visibility to this neglected sector of the population.
During the event, which was presided over by Renato Alvarado, the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock of Costa Rica; Susana Balbo, Chair of W20 – a G20 engagement group focusing on gender equality issues; and Manuel Otero, IICA’s Director General, the specialized agency for agriculture and rural development in the Inter-American System disclosed that their initiatives in this area would foster and promote financial independence, entrepreneurship and the increased participation of women in decision-making forums.
Otero maintained that, “These women are doubly disadvantaged: compared to men living in rural areas and compared to urban women. Bridging these gaps is the duty not only of governments but also of civil society, which should commit to alleviating this problem”.
“These women need to be heard. We need to know their opinion, their needs, and to grasp the wisdom behind their silent screams”, argued IICA’s Director General, who later signed three agreements to foster collaborative work between the Institute and other specialized agencies for the benefit of marginalized sectors in rural areas.
Federico Villareal, IICA’s Director of Technical Cooperation commented that, “We are adopting a gender perspective in a bid to bring about greater equality in rural areas, based on an innovative vision and concrete actions”.
He went on to explain that, “IICA will work to strengthen innovative capacities and to promote leadership in innovative and more competitive chains. We will also implement plans to improve the presence of rural women in climate smart agricultural processes and to encourage sustainable soil management, efficient water use and conservation”.
On the other hand, Susana Balbo, summarized the W20 recommendations that were submitted to President of Argentina, Mauricio Macri, and that will be taken to next month’s G20 Leaders Summit, while reminding the audience of the need to “guarantee the financial inclusion of women” and to ensure “their access to credit and financial services”.
Balbo argued that, “Rural women make up one third of the world’s population. Fifty percent of the world’s food is the product of their hands. They play an essential role in sustaining the land, the family and the fabric of the society. By improving their situation, we can increase world production by thirty percent”.
Costa Rica’s Minister of Agriculture, Renato Alvarado, also expressed “the need for cultural change to transform” the situation of rural women. The Costa Rican Minister highlighted the value of women’s work in rural communities, calling for it to be recognized and for greater emphasis to be placed on education to foster greater gender equality in rural areas.
The ceremony was attended by ambassadors and representatives from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Germany, Honduras, Israel, South Korea, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Spain, the United States and Uruguay, and high-level authorities from international organizations. The Peruvian Ambassador to Costa Rica, Jaime Cacho-Sousa Velázquez, spoke on behalf of the accredited diplomatic corps in this Central American country.
In addition to its strategies to support rural women, in keeping with its commitment to contribute to the formulation of sound and long-term public policies for the benefit of this sector of the population, IICA presented two initiatives to focus the spotlight of public attention on women living in the countryside.
The first is a photographic exhibition produced in partnership with the Vogue Brazil magazine, which tells the stories of courageous women in Argentina, Brazil, Jamaica and Guatemala. One of them, Celeste Anderson, President of the Treasure Beach Women’s Group in Jamaica, attended the ceremony.
“Thank you for giving us a voice, and a face”, she said, “and for giving us this recognition, seeing not only who we are, but making us know that we do matter”.
The exhibition is the product of an unreported alliance between IICA and the respected magazine, which also saw the contribution of private individuals and civil society organizations, seeking to portray the reality of women who work the land.
There is also a book, “Warriors – Rural Women around the World: 28 Enlightened Voices”, published in Spanish and English. The book, which was edited by IICA, is one of the most extensive compilations of perspectives and previously unpublished articles on rural women. Its authors, who are prominent figures from the five continents – primarily women – examine the data and statistics and explain the urgency of creating opportunities to empower women living in rural areas. Their voices are joined by those of high level authorities from various governments, international organizations and leaders of women’s movements.
The publication, which will become a required reference source on the status of women in rural areas and on possible strategies to improve their living conditions, includes photographs by the award-winning photo journalist, Sebastião Salgado and can be accessed at http://mujeresrurales.iica.int and http://ruralwomen.iica.int .
Two female Vice-Presidents participated in the ceremony: Epsy Campbell Barr, who is also Minister of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica and Isabel de Saint Malo Alvarado, who is also Minister of Foreign Affairs in her country, Panama. Both ladies contributed articles to the “Warriors” publication, as did Margarita Cedeño, Vice-President of the Dominican Republic. Alberto Beltrame, Brazil’s Minister of Social Development, also gave a message, speaking from Brasilia.
See below links to the presentations of our guests of honor (in Spanish):
Mensaje de Epsy Campbell, Vicepresidenta y Canciller de la República de Costa Rica
Mensaje de Alberto Beltrame, Ministro de Desarrollo Social de Brasil
Mensaje de Isabel Saint Malo de Alvarado, Vicepresidenta y Canciller de Panamá
Mensaje de Daniela Falcão, CEO Edições Globo/Condé Nast
More information:
Institutional Communication Unit, IICA
