In Rome, IICA attends 47th Session of the Governing Council of IFAD and presents exhibition that pays tribute to rural women of the Americas

Rome, 19 February 2024 (IICA) – In Rome, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) participated in the 47th Governing Council of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), in its capacity as an observer organization. At the meeting venue, the Institute also set up the photographic exhibition “The Soul of Rurality”, which pays tribute to rural women of the Americas.

High-level government officials, small-scale farmers and innovation experts also participated alongside IFAD authorities.

Under the motto “Innovation for a Food Secure Future”, participants discussed how IFAD and its partners can better harness innovation so rural communities can find solutions to the challenges they face and thrive in a rapidly changing world.

The specialized agency for agricultural and rural development, headquartered in Costa Rica, took part in the meeting ahead of the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between IICA and IFAD that will seek to strengthen ties of cooperation between the two institutions.

IICA created the “Soul of Rurality” exhibition in 2019 to commemorate the International Day of Rural Women. Since then, the exhibition has conveyed IICA’s commitment to giving visibility to and fostering urgent public policymaking for the benefit of women living in the countryside.

The exhibition is comprised of 28 images that showcase the stories of women from Argentina, Brazil, Guatemala and Jamaica, for whom food is synonymous with affection and survival, and whose colorful, handcrafted garments have great significance.

Within the framework of the 2024 Council of Governors, various IFAD authorities and other professionals and development experts participating in the event were able to visit the exhibition. Among them were Rossana Polastri, Regional Director for the Latin America and the Caribbean Division of IFAD, and Claudia ten Have, Secretary of IFAD and Director of the Office of the Secretary, who applauded IICA’s efforts to highlight the key role of rural women in fostering well-being for their families and communities.

Soraya Villarroya, Coordinator of IICA’s Permanent Office for Europe, represented IICA at the meeting of the Council and highlighted  the importance of these “forums, in which decision makers from all over the world can learn about the stories of rural women from  Latin America and the Caribbean who, on a daily basis, work to guarantee regional food security and drive the sustainable development of their territories”.

IICA Director General Manuel Otero, remarked that, in addition to paying tribute to rural women, the images also “invite society, its leaders and mass media to become involved in a necessary decision-making process to prioritize and recognize the work of rural women—an initial and key step to begin transforming their reality”.

“The rural women from Latin America and the Caribbean whose portraits are part of the exhibition presented by IICA are placing their trust in us and asking that we undertake efforts to reduce development gaps in rural areas”, said Carlos Cherniak, Argentina’s Ambassador to FAO, regarding the exhibition.

First presented in Spain in 2019, at the headquarters of the European Parliament in Madrid, the traveling exhibition was  subsequently set up at COP25. Since then, it has traveled to various European cities, including Berlin, Brussels, Andorra, and now Rome, thanks to the partnership with IFAD. It has also been presented in several countries of the Americas.

You can view the gallery of images presented in the exhibition HERE.

You can learn more about the exhibition and its itinerary HERE.

More information:
Institutional Communication Division.
comunicacion.institucional@iica.int