FAO conference celebrates International Women’s Day

Delegates at today’s sitting of the 35th Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean being held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, Rose Hall, Montego Bay, joins the rest of the world in celebrating International Women’s Day.

Addressing her fellow delegates, Special Ambassador for FAO Zero Hunger, Guadalupe Valdez is calling for the empowerment of rural women in Latin America and the Caribbean.

According to Ambassador Valdez, it is important for the decision makers at the 35th FAO Regional Conference to reflect on the challenges and emerging opportunities to promote gender equality and the economic and political empowerment of rural women in the region.

“It is not possible to achieve sustainable development if we do not manage to transform the vision of a patriarchal state in which the relationships of power during centuries have perpetuated discrimination and inequity”, the Ambassador said. The Ambassador was addressing a special session to commemorate International Women’s Day at the conference

She stated that in spite of the wide international consensus on the importance of the role of indigenous women to eradicate hunger and malnutrition in the world, they are still not fully recognized.

She further stated that rural women and their organisations represent an enormous potential and are actually mobilizing to reclaim their rights and improve their lives and wellbeing.

International Women’s Day 208, under the theme, “Press for Progress” is a global day celebrating the economic, political, social and cultural achievement of women.

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