With today marking the International Day of Rural Women, there are many things we need to be grateful for. In the global south, women’s increasing role in leading communities and participating in decision making is promoting inclusive and equitable development in rural areas. And despite the greater time spent fulfilling the community role they increasingly play, women remain the primary caregiver, responsible for household chores, childcare and elder care in rural communities. Rural women also do a lot more than engaging in community leadership and care giving. Perhaps their biggest contribution to rural life is the hard and sweaty labour they contribute to farming — the endless hours spent planting and tending crops, raising livestock and ensuring their family, community and country have enough to eat.

I live in West Java and am always amazed at the effort women put into working the local rice fields. They are actively involved in tending to the paddies and harvesting the crop. A common sight is a group of sarong-clad women beneath pointy rattan hats, breaking their backs in knee-high water, transplanting rice seedlings. And all grinning and laughing with each other. After five or six months of weeding, thinning the field and keeping a close eye on water levels, they break their backs again harvesting their valuable produce. But the work doesn’t end there. Before they can profit from their labour they have to thresh the grains from the husks and stalks. Then they have to throw the rice in the air and “winnow” the chaff and plant debris from the heavier grains. Fortunately, threshing and winnowing are increasingly mechanised. Unsurprisingly, men are quick to step in when it comes to handling the machinery. Although I have read this is changing as we see greater gender equity.

At the risk of “virtue signaling”, I hope the International Day of Rural Women reminds us of the valuable contributions women make in rural communities, not just in West Java but around the world. And not just in rural communities but in all communities. I also hope we recognize and support the ongoing changes towards greater gender equality. This progress is a testament to the determination of women – rural and urban – to lead and shape their communities.

I think we can all salute that!

Photo: Emilia Wisniewska, Women in rice fields, Indonesia. Wikimedia Commons