…Says their strength feeds Nation
Picture: FIDA Global President, Mrs. Ezinwa Okoroafor.
As the world marks the 2025 United Nations International Day of Rural Women, the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) has reaffirmed that empowering women in rural communities is not an act of charity but a global legal and moral duty.
In a message commemorating this year’s theme, “Rural Women: Cultivating Good Food for All,” FIDA Global President, Mrs. Ezinwa Okoroafor, paid tribute to the resilience and indispensable contributions of rural women to global food security and community stability.
She noted that from smallholder farms to large cooperatives, rural women sustain families and economies despite facing persistent barriers such as limited access to land, credit, education, and healthcare, as well as exclusion from decision-making structures.
“Empowering rural women is not charity; it is a legal, moral, and global obligation,” Okoroafor said.“When rural women thrive, they feed more than their families — they nourish entire nations.”
FIDA called on governments, states, development partners, and civil society to design and implement laws and programs that protect rural women’s rights, enhance their productivity, and ensure their voices are heard at every level of policy-making.
Reiterating its commitment to gender equality and social justice, FIDA emphasized that the empowerment of rural women is critical to ending hunger and achieving sustainable development.
“When rural women rise, humanity flourishes,” Okoroafor declared. “Their empowerment is the seed of equality, justice, and shared prosperity for generations to come.”
FIDA pledged to continue standing with rural women around the world — defending their rights, amplifying their voices, and promoting a fairer and more inclusive global community where every woman can cultivate not only food, but freedom and dignity.
