The African First Ladies Peace Mission has saluted African rural women has called for more support to the women for faster recovery of rural economies and livelihoods. In statement by the Special Assistant to the President on African First Ladies Peace Mission, Dr. Mairo Al-Makura, the organisation has also saluted rural women for their resilience in the face of COVID-19.
The Mission is soliciting global support to African governments in their relentless efforts to end insurgency on the continent, noting that insurgency had taken tolls on the welfare and livelihoods of the rural communities, especially women, girls, and children. On the occasion of the 2020 International Day for Rural Women, the African First Ladies Peace Mission salutes the resilience of the African rural women, especially in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the fore the need for the socio-economic empowerment of the rural women, which the AFLPM has always joined the United Nations and other stakeholders to advocate. “Despite being seriously disadvantaged in access to land, agricultural assets and credits, education, market, and despite the yawning gender pay gap, African rural women and girls have continued to showcase their resilience in the sustenance of their families and provision of care during this challenging period.
“The AFLPM believes that the continent can build back better from the rubbles of the pandemic by strengthening rural women’s sustainable livelihoods and wellbeing. Therefore, AFLPM calls on African governments to give more support to our rural women and girls to continue to contribute more to agricultural production, food security and nutrition, land and natural resource management, and building climate resilience”, the statement read.
On the challenges posed by insurgency and conflicts to rural women and livelihoods, AFLPM stressed: “In particular, we enjoin the world to rally behind Africa to overcome the challenge of insurgency, which has gravely affected the rural women and their livelihoods.
