The Asian Peasant Coalition today commemorates the first ever International Day of Rural Women, as established by the UN General Assembly declared in its resolution 62/136 last December 18, 2007. The observance of this day started in 1995 by various international non-government organizations at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. Since then, this day honors the integral role of women in the agricultural sector, food production and food security.

Rural women are engaged in all aspects of agriculture – from sowing to nurturing, harvesting, selecting and preserving seeds for the next cropping season. However, given the largely feudal society in which they live in, their vital roles are largely downplayed and their contributions are undervalued. They are being discriminated against having access to resources and opportunities, in the same way that men do.

“We are thankful of the recognition by the world body but more importantly the first was when the peasant-women organized themselves and realized that they should be recognized,” opened Danilo Ramos, APC Secretary-General and Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (Peasant Movement of the Philippines) Secretary-General. “Statistically, women are half of the population and they deserve all the rights and opportunities, that is why it is just and logical that they should be recognized,” he added.

“We all know that women and children are systematically neglected in particular forms at the countrysides, such as the existence of unpaid family labor. Being family members is abused by the government as they treat them as employed to bloat their statistics,” Ramos shared.

Discrimination based on gender is one of the worst things that women experience in the countrysides, “There are cases that farmworker-women and children receive lower wages than men, also they are sexually-exploited by landlords and their administrators,” Ramos narrated.

Moreover, the present food crisis experienced all over the globe has severely hit peasant and indigenous women. Through the neoliberal policy of trade liberalization, corporatization of agriculture has been practiced in developing countries. Vast lands and productive resources are controlled by landlords, transnational corporations, and are turned into big businesses. Women then become more exploited in corporate farms that continually spring up in the countryside. They are subjected to low wages, toxic chemicals and hazardous technologies. Massive displacement of rural and farming communities are also occurring, resulting to hunger, food insecurity and harassment.

In the Philippines, the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), joined the AMIHAN (National Federation of Peasant Women Network), and GABRIELA in rally at Malacanang palace today. Imleda Lacandazo, KMP national vice-chairperson said, "on the occasion of the first International Day of Rural Women, our struggles must be brought to the forefront and our roles be highlighted. Let us advance the peoples struggle for genuine freedom and democracy!"

The Asian Peasant Coalition, together with other progressive organizations all over the world are in solidarity with dalits, indigenous and peasant women in their resistance against imperialist globalization and exploitation. Their rights to land, livelihood, productive resources, safe working conditions, health and reproductive rights must be recognized. Thus, to pursue the basic interests of the rural women is to integrate it with the general people’s struggle against feudalism and U.S. imperialism!

Rural Women Unite!
Resist WTO and Imperialist Globalization!
Assert Women’s Rights!
Struggle for Genuine Agrarian Reform and Peoples’ Food Sovereignty!

Reference: DANILO RAMOS, APC
Secretary-General (+63928-422-98-67)