Peace- and women’s rights advocate, the Nobel Laureate Tawakkol Karman, affirmed that any talk about rural women's rights in isolation from human rights is unfeasible,

considering the achievement of statehood that guarantees rights and basic freedoms for all citizens is the safe route for rural women to gain their rights.

In a speech delivered at the opening session of a high-level conference on rural women’s rights held on 16 December at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy, Karman said, "health, educational and economic empowerment of women is the best way to eradicate poverty and hunger.” 

“The countryside and rural women can be trusted to defeat poverty and hunger,” continued Karman during the high-level event hosted in Rome under title “Step It Up Together with Rural Women to End Hunger and Poverty” 

She also pointed out that wherever despotism, corruption and failure prevail, members of such society – women are necessarily part of them, but rural women are most affected- become victims. 

“Commitment to developing women and ensuring their rights in rural areas rights remains an elusive goal in societies suffering from armed conflicts,” explained Yemeni human rights activist, arguing that ending conflicts and wars, creating national settlements and achieving peace in such societies are essential measures to ensure rights and freedoms in general, and women and rural women’s rights in particular. 

The 2016 Freedom Award recipient went on to say that despite the vital importance of qualification and sustainable development opportunities provided by outside sponsors for rural women, they remain mere efforts unless they are reinforced by values of good governance. 

Further, she stressed the need to work in order to achieve a decent life for all citizens and pay attention to rural women as a goal and means of sustainable development, as mobilizing resources help to achieve sustainable development and prevent women from becoming a burden on society.