"Towards Food Security: Invest in Rural Women" - 1997
In 1997, in order to make the World Rural Women's Day a truly annual and ongoing global event, a Worldwide Information Campaign for Awareness and Empowerment was launched by IFAP, WWSF and ACWW. The theme selected was: "Towards Food Security: Invest in Rural Women".
With the technical assistance of FAO, a World Rural Women's Day logo was created and a colored poster was produced in five languages - Arabic, Chinese, English, French and Spanish. A postcard and an information flier were also printed as part of the information pack. Financial support for the printing and mailing was received from the World Bank, Norsk Hydro and the World Food Program, while the Swiss Agency of Development and Cooperation, was the major donor. IFAD provided technical support for language translation.
Using different networks both non-governmental (i.e. ACWW, ICA IFAP, Micro-Credit Summit, World Food Summit NGO Forum) and intergovernmental (FAO, ILO, World Bank, WFP etc.) almost 15,OOO organizations associated with rural women were contacted around the world, each receiving the information pack.
The response to the campaign from both developing and industrialized countries went beyond expectations. The initiative met with overwhelming enthusiasm and support at all levels, from grassroots women's movements in the most marginalized, least-favored areas of developing countries, to well-established national organizations in industrialized countries.
Over 1OO reports, letters, photographs and videos received from around the world testify to local and national activities marking the day. Major highlights include the official recognition by President Ramos of the Philippines of 15 October as National Rural Women's Day, obtained through the good offices of the Filipino Federation of Free Farmers, and a Proclamation by Bill Clinton, President of the United States, declaring the 15 October as International Rural Women's Day. Clinton's proclamation calls on the American people to "observe this day with appropriate programs and activities in recognition of the extraordinary contributions rural women make to the quality of lives both in America and around the world".