International Day of Rural Women

This day recognizes the role of rural women, including indigenous women, in enhancing agricultural and rural development, improving food security and eradicating rural poverty.

Rural women and girls play a significant role in agriculture, food security and nutrition, land and natural resource management and unpaid and domestic care work.

Women also collect firewood, process foodstuffs by hand, and collect water; 80% of households without piped water rely on women and girls for water collection. Rural women are at the front of the battle lines when natural resources and agriculture are threatened.

Just imagine not being able to go to school because you have to walk 5 miles to collect water for your family.

Just imagine being late every day for school because you have to scavenge for firewood in increasingly far distant places.

Just imagine not being able to do your homework because there is no lighting in your village.

Just imagine facing the prospect as a young girl of being denied education because you have to marry someone much older than you.

AN INVITATION TO PRAYER

You are invited to pray:

for rural women and girls - that helpful technology and infrastructure will help them in the daily tasks they undertake for their families;

for access to education where this is denied for whatever reason;

for attitudes towards equality to spread and develop that all people might benefit from the riches of this world.

We pray this in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. AMEN

St. Julie: pray for us, protect us and bless us.