International Women’s Day 2022: Perspectives from FAO in the field
Staff from the Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia share key issues facing rural women and girls, achievements and progress in empowering women in climate change adaptation.
©️FAO/Mirbek Kadtaliev
Every year on 8 March, International Women’s Day is celebrated to honour women's social, economic, cultural, and political achievements. This year's theme is “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow,” targeting the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies, and programmes.
On this occasion, FAO staff working on the ground have been asked to share their thoughts on the advances in gender equality.
Why is women’s economic empowerment so important?
As the main producers, farmers, and entrepreneurs in labour-intensive agriculture and the rural economy in Albania, women demonstrate impressive resilience and contribute significantly to their food security and nutrition, caregiving, and wellbeing. Therefore, for Albania, the economic empowerment of rural women has multiplier effects and serves as an important channel of substantial progress and positive change to reduce the gender gap. This is also a prerequisite for [agrifood systems] transformation and gender equality, encouraging more innovative rural communities.
–Merita Mece, gender specialist and coordinator of gender rural equality and tourism project, Albania
Learn more