Rural women hold the future in their hands

Growing up with a proud Somali mother, I heard countless stories from my family of generations of strong rural women who run businesses, tend fields and livestock, and care for their homes and families, even through conflict and natural disasters.  

So, I know these women, who spend their lives building better rural futures, are the world’s unsung heroes. But climate change and environmental degradation are making their work and their lives harder – if not impossible. 

The climate crisis affects us all, but it’s particularly challenging for rural women. They’re often lacking economic independence and are much less likely to own the land they farm than men. They’re more affected by climate disasters and many don’t have the resources to adapt to a changing world. And they share an experience that is familiar to women around the world: their knowledge and their skills are often devalued and ignored. 

We can put numbers to the impacts. Households that are headed by women lose 8 per cent more of their income due to heat stress than households headed by men. Women are more food insecure than men, and rural people are more food insecure than people in cities. 

But rural women aren’t just victims of the climate crisis. They know that we can thrive only when the planet thrives too. They have the passion and the knowledge to protect Mother Earth: to conserve biodiversity, care for our land and water, and make our food more sustainable. But to fully realise that potential, they need our support. 

With IFAD, I’ve met so many inspiring rural women who hold the future of their communities in their hands. On every continent, they stand unbowed by the storm winds of climate change and continue to feed their families, and the world. This is the story of rural women everywhere. 

One of them is Dionisia. While tending to her small plot of sorghum and green gram in rural Kenya, she also collects vital weather data. Every day, she carefully inspects her rain gauge and sends her readings to the meteorology department. It’s one small but essential bit of data feeding into local weather forecast. 

In return, Dionisia and other small-scale farmers in the area receive text messages with agricultural advice based on the forecasts, which they then pass on to others. With this, they can protect their crops against the elements. 

Or take Soso, who installed a biogas system in her home in northern Egypt. This converts manure from her goats into fuel for cooking. Not only does she not have to collect firewood anymore, but it also cuts methane emissions while creating a rich fertilizer. The oranges from her garden are some of the best I’ve ever tasted. 

Inspiring rural women like Soso and Dionisia deserve more than our praise. They need solid support to continue to do the work that holds the promise of a better future. 

We must empower rural women so they can decide what’s right for nature. As nurturers of our food systems and our planet, they must get the resources, opportunities and the decision-making power they need. 

We must ensure rural women’s voices are heard and address their needs in rural development policies, plans and projects. IFAD already does this, but every institution needs to do this. 

We must tear down the barriers and inequalities that prevent rural women from escaping poverty and adapting to climate change. 

Only by doing this can we all have a hope for a better future.