1^st of July, 2017, Santiago de Chile – From today until July 31 there is an open call for stories and photographs that illustrate the life and experiences of rural women and their organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean, as part of a contest promoted by the Food and Agriculture Organization for the United Nations, FAO.

The contest seeks to address rural women´s fundamental role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), rural development and hunger and poverty eradication.

The winners of the two categories of the contest will receive airplane tickets and daily lodging costs to attend the II Regional Rural Women´s Conference in Latin America and the Caribbean, which will be taking place in September in Asunción, Paraguay.

The contest aims to shed light on the diverse realities of rural women in the region, the challenges they face every day, their strengths, achievements and capabilities, to showcase their valuable life stories.

“Women make significant contributions on a daily basis, which are fundamental to food security and food production, the preservation of biodiversity and the development of rural areas. They also have invaluable life experiences: that is what we want to show through this contest”, said Claudia Brito, FAO’s Gender Officer.

Two categories: life stories and organizations experiences

The contest has two categories:

a)     Life stories: the stories must address the experiences of women living and working in rural areas. The stories can be presented in written form or through images (photographs and illustrations). 

Only rural women may participate, with support from professionals that lend technical assistance in rural areas.   

b)     The experience of organizations: in this category the stories must be centered on the work done by women’s organizations, taking into account the struggle for gender equality and rural women’s rights to natural resources, health, education and work, amongst others. The stories must value the collective efforts and the importance of working in partnership, as well as highlighting the organizations achievements and challenges in reducing the gender gap.

In this category the stories must be presented in written form and can optionally be accompanied by images (photography or illustrations). Mixed organizations where rural women are involved can participate.

How to send the materials

In order to participate in any of the above mentioned categories, the participants must complete the application form available in the following link. The application form must be attached together with the stories and/or images send to the email [email protected], indicating the name of the category that they wish to participate in.

There is no limit in how many stories or photographs a single person or organization may send. The materials will be received until July 31, 2017.

#RuralWomen, women with rights campaign

This contest is part of the regional communications campaign #RuralWomen, women with rights, promoted by FAO in the entire region.

The contest –and the larger campaign- is developed together with the Specialized Meeting on Family Farming of MERCOSUR (REAF), the Special Secretary for Family Agriculture and Agrarian Development in Brazil (SEAD) and the Rural Change Unity in Argentina (UCAR). A special call will be launched in Argentina.