The International Day of Rural Women has been held in Tamale, the Northern regional capital with a call for an urgent need for building rural women’s resilience in the wake of COVID-19 by strengthening rural women’s sustainable livelihoods and wellbeing.
This year’s event organised by the Savannah Women Integrated Development Agency (SWIDA-GH) with funding from the Global Fund for Women on the theme ‘Building Rural Women’s Resilience in the Wake of COVID-19’ brought together stakeholder, farmers and civil society organisations to grace the occasion.
It is a United Nation’s day set aside to recognise the effort of rural women in development especially those into agriculture since it is transformative agenda for development in the midst of rural settlement.
Speaking at the ceremony in Tamale, Tim-Tooni Naa of Dagbon and Chief Executive Officer for Pagba Saha Foundation, Hajia Sawuratu Alhassan commended rural women for the rural women for their contribution towards food security and home keeping. According to her, despite the outbreak of COVID-19, the rural women have been striving hard to ensure food on the table hence the need to appreciate them.
The Tamale Metro Coordinator for Women in Agriculture and Development (WIAD) of the Department of Agriculture, Salatu Abubakari said, commended the rural women for their co0ntributions towards the upkeep of the homes and the society.
“As agricultural experts, we have designed lots of activities that we undertake with the women to ensure the sustainability of their alternative livelihoods and business aside the farming for economic growth,” she added.
She reiterated the commitment of the department to assist the women achieve their dreams to enable them contribute to society and home.
Hajia Alima Sagitoe, Executive Director for SWIDA-GH stated that “we all know that COVID-19 came as a surprise to everybody and has affected the economy of Ghana and the world. In terms of resilience and policy, when it comes to women, the impact of COVID-19 has made the women not relatively the same due to the negative impact on women.”
She said the occasion is celebrated every year to recognise the critical women play in development.
