| Event | International Day of Rural Women |
| Date | October 15 |
| 2024 Theme | "Rural Women Sustaining Nature for Our Collective Future: Building climate resilience, conserving biodiversity, and caring for land towards gender equality and empowerment of women and girls." |
| Global Population | Rural women constitute approximately 22% of the global population. |
| Key Contributions | - Food production, natural resource conservation, and community health.<br>- Roles in improving food security, enhancing biodiversity, and addressing climate change. |
| Agrifood Systems | 36% of working women globally were employed in agrifood systems as of 2019. |
| Challenges | - Higher poverty rates, limited access to education, healthcare, and social services.<br>- Discriminatory practices, especially for rural Indigenous women and girls. |
| Poverty Rates | Rural areas experience higher rates of extreme and multidimensional poverty. |
| Access to Resources | Discriminatory laws and social norms prevent women from owning land or accessing credit. |
| Biodiversity Custodians | Women play vital roles in conserving biodiversity and managing natural resources through indigenous knowledge and sustainable practices. |
| Climate Resilience | Women implement sustainable agricultural practices, manage water resources, and engage in land stewardship to combat environmental degradation. |
| Healthcare Workforce | Women make up 67% of the global healthcare workforce and 70% of community healthcare workers. |
| Unpaid Care Work | Women shoulder unpaid care responsibilities for children, the elderly, and the sick, often undervalued in economic terms. |
| Other Essential Roles | Women are involved in water and sanitation services, occupational health, and zoonosis control. |
| Establishment of the Day | First established by the UN General Assembly in 2007 through Resolution 62/136. |
| 2024 Focus Areas | - Building climate resilience.<br>- Conserving biodiversity.<br>- Promoting gender equality and empowering women and girls. |
| Policy Recommendations | - Equal access to land ownership, financial services, and education.<br>- Legal reforms to eliminate discrimination.<br>- Investment in healthcare, infrastructure, and social services. |
