My grandmother came from a deeply rural world. She was the wife of a shepherd, the mother of four children, and the person responsible for caring for her husband, her father, and her father-in-law. Alongside this immense caregiving role, she looked after a flock of one hundred goats and worked the family land. She never stopped working. Yet, despite her knowledge, resilience, and contribution, she never had the opportunity to attend school or learn how to read and write.
Many of us come from women like her. Women whose work was essential but often invisible, whose knowledge was rarely recognised, and whose lives were marked by dedication and sacrifice. Their expertise in livestock management, farming, food preservation, and community care sustained families and rural economies for generations. It is important that we do not forget these paths, these stories, and these forms of knowledge, which remain a valuable part of our collective heritage.
Today, rural women still play a fundamental role in sustaining communities around the world. They represent approximately a quarter of the global population and are key contributors to agriculture, food security, natural resource management, and family wellbeing. Yet they continue to face significant challenges. Rural women often have less access to education, healthcare, land ownership, financial services, technology, and decision-making opportunities than their urban counterparts. Research also highlights the persistent burden of unpaid care work and the health inequalities experienced by women living in rural areas.
As highlighted by UN Women on the occasion of the International Day of Rural Women, rural women are at the forefront of building resilient communities, protecting the environment, and driving sustainable development. However, rural areas are disproportionately affected by poverty, food insecurity, and climate change, with women and girls bearing a large share of these impacts. If current trends continue, 351 million women and girls could still be living in extreme poverty by 2030.
On 15 October, we celebrate the strength, wisdom, and leadership of rural women. Honouring their legacy means not only remembering the women who came before us, but also ensuring equal opportunities for the women who continue to shape rural communities today. Their voices, knowledge, and contributions are essential for a more sustainable and equitable future.
Serra Húnter Fellow of Sociology at Universitat Rovira i Virgili.
Former DAAD-Gastprofessorin at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg