« Rural Women: Leaders of Tomorrow »
MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT
“Rural Women: Leaders of Tomorrow”, just one more slogan? Not at all, it is a question of the future of humanity!
Hunger and malnutrition still concerns too many countries. In the poorest countries, rural women produce a very large proportion of the food. They are therefore right on the front line in fighting these problems. What’s more, rural women throughout the world are able to both contribute to a better respect of natural resources and promote sustainable development.
But are they listened to? Are their demands for access to land, credit, seeds and tools acknowledged? Is it enough to politely ask leaders that are often men and town dwellers for the needs of rural women to be accepted? Of course not!
It is up to us, rural women on all continents, to fully assume our responsibilities. To move forward, we have to take on our personal time to become involved in the world of politics. It is not out of desire but out of necessity that our duty is to lead the way by becoming the leaders of tomorrow.
The disastrous consequences of male dominated governance oblige us. Humanity is made up of two halves so of course, purely female governance would also be disastrous. For a better balanced and more equitable society we therefore need rural women leaders.
My dear friends and colleagues, you are all my sisters and as families do, we must support one another. It is not easy to invest outside our own households, farms and families. Going to meetings, attending courses, speaking in public and daring to assert ourselves all require courage and determination.
I am not asking you to make this sacrifice for any titles or honours. Life is short and our energy should not be wasted on vain personal ambition.
Let’s become leaders in order to give our daughter and our sons a future. We know that nobody is able to defend the interests of well balanced, living rural communities than we, rural women, are. We therefore have to accept this challenge by becoming leaders today and tomorrow. Let’s create a future for everyone!
Enjoy the World Rural Women’s Day celebrations!
Karen Serres
President of the IFAP Committee on Women Farmers