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It gives me immense pleasure to congratulate you all on this World Rural Women’s Day, celebrated every 15th October and this year 2001 in the Pearl of Africa.

World Rural Women’s Day is a result of the discussions among representatives of women farmers and rural women in Beijing in 1995 and several other organizations. The International Federation of Agricultural Producers (IFAP) is one of the main proponents of this worldwide event, and is playing a leading role in advocating for the observance of this very important day.

The purpose of the day is to provide rural women and their organizations with a focal point to:

· Raise the profile of women

· Sensitise both government and the public of their crucial yet largely unrecognized roles

· Fight inequalities and prejudices against rural women.

The World Rural Women Day is a practical way of obtaining recognition and support for the multiple roles of rural women, who are mostly farmers and small entrepreneurs.

This first international event organised by IFAP on women in agriculture issues represents an important opportunity for women farmers to exchange information and views on different themes related to those living in rural areas.

As you may be aware, the theme for this year’s event is “Peace for rural women to achieve food security”, a theme which has been chosen by the IFAP Standing Committee on Women in Agriculture in the sight of the world situation.

Food security may be defined as a situation where all people at all times have sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preference for an active and healthy life.

Peace and food security are inextricably linked. There can be no lasting peace without food just as food production cannot take place without first establishing a climate of peace.

Rural women produce more than three-quarters of the world’s food. In rural areas of the developing world where food production is the principle activity, women provide up to 80% of food consumed in their homes. They therefore play a crucial role in fighting hunger.

In Africa, factors such as cultural practices, poverty, disease, conflict and instability and more especially the gender relations are an obstacle to a sustainable peace and therefore long-term food security.

These factors are not unique to Africa alone but are similar in other parts of the developing world. A phenomenon that is not common in the developed countries – I am sure, ladies, we will have enough to share.

The world as a community must ensure equitable access and distribution to the most basic of life’s requirement – food. The strength of a Nation depends upon the strength of its people. While significant progress has been made in the fight against hunger, the number of people in the world who are chronically undernourished and unable to meet their basic daily energy requirements is unacceptably high. At the beginning of the third millennium, freedom from hunger remains an elusive goal for 820 million people and continues to undermine the social-economic development of many nations.

Our guest of honour, Ladies and Gentlemen, the battle for food security can be won only if the invaluable contribution made by women is recognized and if the social, political and economic context empowers them to develop their potential as farmers, actors of development and human beings.

It is my sincere hope that by the end of this conference we shall have come up with strategies on how best to recognise the role of the rural woman and improve durably our circumstances all around the world.

Today, women in agriculture face widespread inequality. This is evident in their unequal access to resources and raw materials, to education, training and general knowledge and, as a result, to technology, to services that facilitate their everyday work, and to marketing networks, among others.

The differences in the treatment accorded to men and women are also reflected in shortages of capital and manpower in farm operations managed by women. Women must make do with what they have. These adaptations can have significant repercussions which threaten food supplies, production of crops with lower nutritional value, adoption of environmentally harmful farming techniques, and a reduction in activities that generate off-farm income, i.e. impoverishment of families.

These inequalities prevent women — except at the cost of enormous effort — from assuming their basic role in respect of the survival and management of the family unit, for the well being of families and their communities.

In the long term, these inequalities are impeding the socio-economic development of the society in general, and of women in particular. Furthermore, it is a threat to peace in that poverty, political instability and conflicts are unquestionably linked.

The guest of honour, invited guests, allow me at this point to express sincere thanks to IFAP for making this celebration happen.

IFAP is an international farmers body which embraces national apex farmer organizations. One of IFAP’s mandate is to lobby and advocate for the small farmer on the global scene. The body endeavours to articulate the plight of the small farmer and advocate for favourable conditions that are a pre-requisite for agricultural development. In Uganda, members of IFAP are UNFA and UCA.

I also extend my gratitude to Agriterra for funding the participation of so many female producers.

IFAP and Agriterra made it possible for UNFA and UCA to co-host this 2001 World Rural Women’s Day (WRWD) here in Uganda and we thank them for their constant support.

Ladies and gentlemen, let the need for peace for rural women to achieve food security not become a mere slogan. I appeal to all people interested in the development of our nations to play their role in ensuring peace for the rural woman. You may be wondering who this rural woman is. I would like to introduce Mrs Hilda Stewart, World President of the Associated Country Women of the World, one of the other main proponents of the World Rural Women’s Day.

Dear Friends, this is OUR day, let’s make it special!

I thank you for listening and I give the floor to Mrs Stewart.