CGIAR Gender News

It’s rural women’s day, from dawn to dusk

Anita Naik Photo: Nima Chodon/CIMMYT

A day in the life of a farmer in India’s Odisha state, part of  tribal community that has long lived off the land. 

Over 70% of rural women in India are engaged in agriculture. Women carry out a large portion of farm work, as cultivators and agricultural laborers, but in most cases they are not even counted and recognized as farmers. Millions of Indian rural women also carry the burden of domestic work, a job that is undervalued and unrecognized economically.

On the International Day of Rural Women, October 15, the focus is on their contributions to growing food and feeding families. The often invisible hands of rural women play a pivotal role in food security and sustaining rural communities.

Today, we have a glimpse at the daily life of farmer Anita Naik.