Rural Women

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   Females have always been faced with discrimination; whether in the workforce, sports, education, or even by their own families. Yet, these stereotypes are expressed more often in rural areas as a result of poverty, cultural/religious beliefs, as well as the lack of education. For example, rural women are less likely to receive a steady salary compared to women in a more urban setting. They are often seen as “laborers,” and are forced to work long hours in poor conditions. In extreme cases, they can work up to 12-13 hours more than men. On top of that, rural women are “supposed to” take care of housework and the family. More often than not, a rural woman will spend 90% of her income (if she gets any) on her family, while rural men only spend 30%. And if they aren’t willing to cooperate with societal norms, they are often abused, both physically and sexually. For example, a study published found that 22.5% of women living in rural areas report incidents of abuse from their partner. Yet, without these rural women (who are underappreciated to say the least), our world would be filled with chaos. 

   43% of the reduction of global hunger was a result of rural women who were educated about the issue of malnutrition and were able to implement this into their daily lives. In addition, rural women of indigenous background are key to helping their culture live on, as they spend their time with family recollecting stories from their ancestors' past. Still, the work of rural women is undervalued, which is why there are very few females present in rural workers' organizations. However, we can help change this. By allowing women to have a strong education, rather than quitting school at 13, it can help them to grow more independent, and give them the confidence to go against their societal norms and unleash the inner leader inside them. 

   Additionally, by donating to organizations such as the UN, you can help them to provide childcare services in rural areas, allowing females to get the rest they deserve, as well as focus their energy on their own passions. For example, 2 rural women in France started their own farm, “La ferme GoneGirls” to promote sustainable farming, by doing things such as planting 1000 trees, as well as reducing carbon emissions by choosing to go against tilling/overturning their soil. Women are the key to changing our world, yet we as a society have to support them if we want our world to become a better place. 

references:

https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/multimedia/2018/2/infographic-rural-women

youtube.com/watch?v=xE0eoDx6QsU

https://www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2013/03/discrimination-faced-rural-women-negatively-impacts-food-security

ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/statements-and-speeches/WCMS_621364/lang--en/index.htm#:~:text=Rural%20women%20are%20less%20likely,conditions%20and%20limited%20social%20protection.

https://www.ifad.org/en/web/latest/-/photo/ten-things-to-know-about-gender-equality-and-rural-poverty

https://georgia.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2016/04/pervasive-gender-inequality-in-rural-areas

https://wodbottom.com/blogs/woman-power/is-domestic-violence-different-in-urban-vs-rural-areas#:~:text=Women%20in%20rural%20and%20isolated,violence%20in%20the%20past%20year.