Not a day passes when the world does not make a progress in all areas. We can see it clearly through inventions, scientific discoveries, mega projects, major benefits gained as a result of exploitation of natural resources and human energies. 

This progress, unfortunately, is not matched a real progress in the fight against poverty and hunger across the world. Even if there is some progress, it is a little progress compared to the size of the problem.  

The reasons behind the expansion of poverty and hunger are many and complex. Therefore, a strong will and globally concerted efforts are required to achieve the dream of every one, which is a world without poverty, a world without hunger.

To achieve such a noble goal, we are required to expand the investment in humans, as this is what will bring us closer to our goal more and more. In this context, I thank FAO for its efforts in this regard and its trend at this stage to help rural women to eradicate poverty and hunger.

As we know, rural areas are characterized by distinctive properties, which make such a move an issue of utmost importance. Rural areas in many countries include a large number of population centers as well as vast agricultural areas.

Nevertheless, rural areas ironically remain one of the most backward and poorest areas due to the lack of basic services such as health, education, drinkable water and electricity because those places do not receive adequate attention from national governments, which often direct efforts towards the development of metropolises and city centers.

Such exclusionary policies along with endemic corruption in many government institutions have contributed to impoverishing the countryside rather than taking advantage of it, which contributed to the increase in the number of poor and the spread of hunger.

There is no doubt that women in rural areas are most affected by the lack of basic services and the expansion of poverty, as most of the burden of water and firewood collection falls on women. 

This of course consumes a large part of their energy and time especially since that should not affect other household duties. For example, women in Guinea spend twice as much as time fetching firewood and water per a week than men, while their counterparts in Malawi need eight times more than men to perform the same task. However, women in sub-Saharan Africa spend nearly 40 billion hours per year collecting water.   

The situation is not much different in the Arab world from in Asian or African countries. Arab rural women have multiple tasks besides giving birth to children and childcare. They are responsible for collecting water often existing in distant places. The burden of animal care and agriculture also fall on them. Men often gain revenues from the sales of crops or livestock, but women predominantly work to help the family for nothing or for a pittance if they are working with third parties.

The most important consequence of lacking in basic services in rural areas and of how to deal with women who are burdened with additional obligations is the denial of education, which makes it quite difficult to efficiently take advantage of women’s capabilities in the development and production. In addition, women - in unfair conditions- are more vulnerable to disease and accidents, which often affect their movement and physical and psychological health.

 

Dear friends, 

The most important thing to be aware of, while we tend to help women get rid of poverty and hunger, is to work on providing basic services in rural areas since that would alleviate the suffering of population, mainly women and children. Not to mention the fact that this would also allow women to carry out only their duties and will reflect positively on women’s health and education, and on the possibility of their involvement in training programs that that enable them an active element in development.

Women’s capabilities qualify them to be the cornerstone of rural and community development. All one can do, in my perception, is to provide resources, opportunities and potentials that allow women to be a contributing factor in the eradication of poverty and hunger in their surroundings and society at the lowest possible cost of time and effort. This would let them be more efficient and productive, and improve the economic status of themselves and their families.  

According to FAO’s statistics of 2011, if women, who make up almost 43% of the agricultural labour force in developing countries, had the same access to productive resources as men, revenues of agricultural production will be increased by 20-30%. This would raise total agricultural production in developing countries by 20 to 30%, which would lead to reduce the number of hungry people in the world by 12-17%.

The expansion in the field of rural women’s training and qualification and empowering them to have the ability to organize themselves, own communication skills with others and deal with topics such as marketing services and planning as well as train them to take advantage of modern technology will lead to a real revolution; no doubt about this. Poverty and hunger will inevitably dwindle.

 

Dear friends, 

Any talk about rural women’s rights in isolation from human rights remains infeasible. Building the state, which fosters rights and guarantees basic freedoms for all citizens, is the safe route for rural women to gain their rights. Communities wherein citizens are suffering from tyranny, corruption and failure, are victims of their regimes. Women are necessarily part of those communities, but rural women are more affected.

As far as the importance of women’s qualification and sustainable development in rural areas, both remain mere efforts unless they are reinforced by principles of good governance that enhances and mobilizes the potential of people. 

Sustainable development has a politically, environmentally, economically and socially comprehensive concept. So, we should work to achieve a decent life for all citizens and take care of rural women as a goal and means of sustainable development, as mobilization of resources helps to achieve sustainable development and makes women not to be a burden on society. 

While going on the way to rural women's development and rights, this goal becomes elusive in societies suffering from armed conflicts. Thus, resolving conflicts and wars, reaching national settlements and achieving peace in those communities are very important steps in order to guarantee rights and freedoms in general and rights of rural women in particular. 

 

Dear friends, 

While we are helping rural women to eradicate hunger and poverty, we have to make every effort to establish peace in their areas by directing and intensifying activities and objectives of FAO in those areas so as to be part of the peace process. 

I would like to emphasize here that I, on behalf of the FAO-Nobel Peace Laureates Alliance, applaud these activities and efforts made by the organization in this context, and we all seek to achieve this noble humanitarian objective.

 

Dear friends,  

Finally, I would like to emphasize that women’s health, educational and economic empowerment is the best way to eradicate poverty and hunger. Women often spend earnings on those around them, unlike men who prefer to give more attention to their personal needs.

I certainly do not intend to make a comparison between men and women in this respect, as I know that the issue is so much more complicated. It is not possible to pass judgments on a topic like this. But what I wanted to say is that women have a sense of responsibility and a greater capacity to sacrifice.

If we change the lives of women and girls in rural areas for the better and open new horizons for them, this would mean we have finally decided to change the face of the world. Rural areas and women could be trusted to defeat poverty and hunger. This is what I think, and I hope it is also your belief.