On the occasion of International Women’s Day, IFAD emphasizes its commitment to rural women.

The female half of humanity is hit hardest by poverty. A woman living in a rural area of a developing country is likely to be poorer than a man, more vulnerable, own no land, be less educated and in poorer health. And unlikely to live as long.

Struggling to combine a ‘double day’ of low-paid work with care for the home, rural women have to cope with frequent pregnancies and child mortality. For women, perhaps the cruellest reality of all is that they have less chance than men to escape from poverty. A rural woman has little or no say in the way the family spends its income.

Since men and women experience poverty differently, IFAD’s Rural Poverty Report 2001 recommends that more development projects need to target women specifically.

Investment in rural women pays off. Schooling can lead to a reduction in poverty by giving women the literacy skills and confidence they need to improve their livelihoods. A mother's education often leads to better health and nutrition for her children.

More investment in improving the lot of rural women could create an upward spiral of better education, improved health and higher income. And women need to be given access to productive assets. Reducing gender inequalities is not only morally desirable, it is good for economic growth and development.

IFAD is committed to changing women’s lives by improving their assets (land, livestock, water, income and credit); developing and disseminating appropriate technologies; building technical, management and leadership skills and breaking the barrier of illiteracy; improving the quality of women’s lives with health, sanitation and technologies; and strengthening women’s organizations, ensuring their participation in decision-making areas, particularly in projects in which they are involved.