As the world marks International Day of Rural Women (15 October) and World Food Day (16 October), the Rural Women’s Assembly (RWA) reminds us that the struggle for food security is inseparable from the struggle for women’s rights.

Across Southern Africa, rural women continue to bear the brunt of hunger, poverty, and landlessness—conditions worsened by climate change, corporate control of seeds and land, and policies that sideline smallholder farmers. Yet, these same women are the backbone of local food systems: they cultivate, preserve, and feed their communities with resilience and knowledge passed down through generations.

The 2025 World Food Day theme, “Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future,” calls for collective action. RWA’s statement builds on this call by demanding justice-driven transformation—policies that recognise food as a human right, centre women’s leadership, and promote farmer-managed seed systems. It also calls for meaningful implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants (UNDROP) and initiatives like “One Woman, One Hectare” to restore equity and dignity in rural communities.

The statement challenges governments, civil society, and citizens to act boldly—because the future of food security depends on justice, equality, and the empowerment of rural women.

📄 Read and download the full statement here:
👉 Download the RWA 2025 Media Statement on World Food Day & International Day of Rural Women (PDF)