Feature Stories

The following stories reflect some of the work that UN Women and its partners are doing to help improve the lives of rural women around the world.

Rural Women in Bolivia Make Their Demands Heard, and Their Presence Felt
Supported by UN Women's Fund for Gender Equality an alliance of 12 social women's organizations has spearheaded a project to amplify Bolivian women's voices during the lawmaking process, following the drafting of a new constitution in 2009. read more »

Women Farmers Yielding Profits and Better Futures in Rural Rwanda
UN Women works with 15 cooperatives in Rwanda's Kirehe District to increase women farmers' access to agricultural services. Trainings provided to co-op leaders have enabled them to think about the needs of women and men farmers and on expanding their membership, with a focus on women members. A testimony to their success is the sentiment expressed by many of the women members, about the life they can now provide for their children and the future. read more »

Palestinian Women: Bread Makers, Bread-Winners
A woman-run school canteen project that employs 200 Palestinian women is transforming not only individuals but also families and communities. It offers women and their families economic independence and represents a ray of hope for the future in this troubled land. read more »

Rural Women Take on a New Role in Delivering Services in Tajikistan
A new programme on improving access to social protection in rural areas is starting a change. Supported by UN Women and bringing together rural women, the initiative works on the establishment of Women's Watch Groups, which monitor the situation of the most vulnerable households and identify ways to improve access to social protection. read more »

Breaking the Cycle of Violence and HIV in Liberia
A project supported by the UN Trust Fund in Liberia combats discriminatory traditional justice systems, low awareness of protection laws, and defines better what constitutes violence against women. read more »

Rural Women in Viet Nam Train for a Rainy Day
The Women's Union building in Viet Nam's Binh Dinh Province is afloat with music, as traditional songs about the province, the seasons, fishing and farming drift through its rooms. Yet those singing know that the life they celebrate is under threat. Each has gathered here to discuss plans and actions for tackling natural disasters. read more »

In Latin America, ICT Training Bridges the Digital Divide for Rural Women
By teaching participants to overcome their fear of technology and use it to improve their situations, UN Women supported programmes in Ecuador and Guatemala have opened up new opportunities and empowered women as leaders. read more »

Woman Village Head Badam Devi: Committed to Change
As she treads along the recently constructed road that connects the Panchayat office to her kuchcha village house in a harijan'basti (marginalized community), her gait is evident of her newfound confidence. Meet Badam Devi, a first time Sarpanch (village head) from Lahora in the Tonk district of Rajasthan, India. read more »

Community Radio Expands Dialogue on Women's Rights in Rural Communities
Community radio uses the power of the radio, but redefines it to give a voice to the most marginalized communities. It creates a non-commercial platform, where ordinary people in rural communities, often the women of the community, own and produce the content they hear on the radio. read more »