It’s #Internationaldayofruralwomen and we’re saying a huge thank you to the many women living in rural Kenya who make and deliver washable period pads in the projects we support.
Many of them use their time to learn how to cut patterns, sew and distribute pads to local schoolgirls in desperate need of period pads. This is despite all the hardships that they experience – not enough food, money, inadequate housing and lack of access to public services, such as education and health care, and infrastructure, including water and sanitation.
We are supporting them to build skills that they can use to generate an income and support their families. But we know that rural women fare worse than rural men and urban women and that they disproportionately experience poverty, exclusion, and the effects of climate change. So achieving gender equality and empowering women is not only the right thing to do but is a critical ingredient in the fight against extreme poverty, hunger and malnutrition.
Let’s recognise the work of these heroines in the production systems of the world, and let’s claim rural areas with equal opportunities for all.