Women’s ministry, partners prepare to commemorate World Rural Women's Day.

The event will be commemorated under the theme: “Rural women facing the challenges of climate change and access to Productive resources”.

The preparatory meeting, which took place in Yaounde Wednesday September 3, brought together representatives of government institutions, civil society, development partners, and women’s associations, was to deliberate on how to give this year’s edition a strong impact both nationally and internationally.

The meeting was chaired by the Technical Adviser No.2 of the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and the Family, Léon Tchonko Wessidjam.

In his introductory remark, Tchonko Wessidjam underlined that the 30th edition should not only be a commemorative, but also transformative one.

He noted the importance of positioning rural women at the centre of the government’s development agenda and insisted that women continue to face daunting challenges, including limited access to land, credit, technology, and social services.

According to him, this year’s theme reflects government’s commitment to advancing women’s empowerment and ensuring that policies addressing rural development are gender-responsive. 

Addressing stakeholders, he called on them to bring in the “resources, expertise, and creativity” in order to make the commemoration a national event that resonates in every local community.

“The World Rural Women’s Day must be more than a symbolic event. It should be an opportunity to shape policy, mobilise partnerships, and ensure that rural women have the tools they need to thrive,” he noted.

He also encouraged the private sector to sponsor initiatives such as training workshops, agricultural fairs, and exhibitions showcasing rural women’s innovations. 

Rural women backbone of food security

According to Tchonko Wessidjam, in Cameroon, women living in rural areas play an essential role in the economy, regardless of the country's level of development. 

“They represent 71.6% of the formal and informal agricultural workforce, EESI 2 and produce more than 85% of the food consumed, ECAM 4. In rural areas, working women devote more than 16.8 hours per week to unpaid domestic work, compared to only 8.3 hours for men and number in the thousands in the informal economy and low-yield primary sector,” he said. 

He stated that the commemoration of the day is in line with the implementation of the National Development Strategy 2030, SND30, and the country’s international commitments on gender equality, food security, and the fight against climate change as it will be a strategic platform for advocacy and concerted action. 

“It provides an opportunity to raise national awareness of women's land rights, the need to strengthen their access to appropriate financing, and their central role in agricultural value chains and agroecology,” Tchonko Wessidjam said. 

He further noted that beyond these observations, this edition aims to create a new dynamic based on: strengthening climate change mitigation/adaptation measures; promoting innovative initiatives by rural women in the areas of climate resilience and peacebuilding; promoting their financial and digital inclusion.

He also highlighted government programmes and projects in order to improve their ownership and impact, strengthening capacities in entrepreneurship, community leadership and personal development.

Stakeholders at the meeting acknowledged the immense role of rural women in agriculture, fisheries, and livestock farming sectors that form the backbone of the country’s economy. 

Despite the contribution, many rural women, they said, remain marginalised in decision-making and face barriers to education and training. 

They equally took out time to outline some of the programmes their various institutions will have in prelude to the commemoration of the day.

The World Rural Women’s Day, it should be said, was instituted by the United Nations in 1995, to honour the vital role and contributions of rural women in enhancing agricultural development, ensuring food security, and strengthening the socio-economic fabric of communities. 

This year’s celebration, according to stakeholders, is significant as it marks three decades since the global community officially recognised rural women’s resilience and indispensable role in sustainable development.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3554 of Thursday September 04, 2025