IICA celebrates International Day of Rural Women
San Jose, Costa Rica, 12 October 2018 (IICA). On 16 October, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) will hold an event to celebrate the International Day of Rural Women, providing a powerful opportunity for hemispheric dialogue on the fundamental contribution of rural female workers to food security and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
During the ceremony, which will be chaired by the Minister of Agriculture of Costa Rica, Renato Alvarado, and the Director General of IICA, Manuel Otero, the hemispheric agency specializing in agricultural and rural development will present its strategies to support rural women, as part of the Institute’s commitment to contribute to the development of solid, long-term public policies for the benefit of this sector of the population.
In addition to delivering this presentation, IICA will launch two initiatives that seek to draw public attention to rural women.
The first is a photography exhibition organized together with Vogue Brazil magazine, which shares the stories of courageous women from Argentina, Brazil, Jamaica and Guatemala.
The exhibition is the result of an unprecedented partnership between IICA and the renowned magazine. Private stakeholders and civil society organizations also supported the initiative, which aims to portray the stories of women who work in the field.
These photographic stories, captured on coffee farms and in deserts, will be displayed at the Institute’s Headquarters; the photos also form part of Vogue Brazil’s October issue.
The book entitled “Warriors – Rural Women Around the World: 28 Enlightened Voices” will also be presented at IICA.
Published in Spanish and English, and edited by IICA, this book is one of the largest compilations of unpublished visions and articles on rural women. The authors, most of whom are women, are prominent figures from five continents. In their articles, the authors analyze data and statistics and explain the urgency of creating opportunities to empower rural women.
Senior officials from different governments and international organizations, as well as female movement leaders, contributed to the publication.
The book, which will become an essential reference material on the status of rural women, as well as strategies to improve their living conditions, includes photographs by award-winning photojournalist Sebastião Salgado. The book will be available at http://ruralwomen.iica.int as of October 16.
The ceremony
Among the guests of honor who will attend the commemorative ceremony on Tuesday are Susana Balbo, Chair of Women 20, a G20 engagement group, and Celeste Anderson, co-founder and President of Treasure Beach Women’s Group in Jamaica.
Three vice-presidents, who wrote articles for the “Warriors” book, will deliver messages: Epsy Campbell Barr, of Costa Rica; Margarita Cedeño, of the Dominican Republic; and Isabel de Saint Malo de Alvarado, of Panama.
Other authorities from the Government of Costa Rica, members of the diplomatic corps, and representatives of rural women, will also attend the event. Additionally, the 34 IICA Delegations in the Member States will host side events and will tune in to the live broadcast of IICA’s event in honor of rural women.
Más información:
Institutional Communication Division of IICA