On 8 March 2021, the United Nations and the world celebrate International Women’s Day, reflecting on progress made towards gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Women in rural areas in Europe and Central Asia are still not equally represented in rural institutions and manage only 6.5 percent to 31 percent of agricultural holdings. They are not paid equally, and they remain without equal access to decent jobs, markets and infrastructure. It is estimated that between 60 percent and 87 percent of women working in agriculture are informal or family workers. Health and education are not always adequately provided, and information gaps limit progress towards positive change.

Furthermore, the COVID-19 crisis has not only increased women’s work burden but also has posed new challenges in such areas as food security, nutrition, time poverty, access to services, economic opportunities and gender-based violence.