The International Day of Rural Women is celebrated this year under the theme ” Rural women cultivating good food for all“. The UN is calling to recognize the work of these heroines in the food systems of the world, and to claim rural areas with equal opportunities for all.
Fahrije Hoti, a rural woman who runs a successful agriculture business in the village of Krusha e Madhe was given the “European of the Year 2022” award by the EU Office in Kosovo to honor her hard work and contribution to Kosovo society. Fahrije gained public trust and respect when she turned the pain for her missing husband during the war into strength, and focused on the efforts for the future of her children. Thanks to her initiative, many rural women were employed in a newly established agricultural business to produce ajvar and pickles, which was then exported also in Europe. The striking story of survival has piqued the interest of director Blerta Basholli who brought into the screen Fahrije’s life through “Hive”, a movie which won all the main awards at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival.
Fahrije is just one example that shows how rural women play key role in their families and communities. If given equal opportunities and access to resources, rural women could contribute substantially to economic development in Kosovo. But traditionally rural women in Kosovo had limited financial resources and access to education and training. They spent most of the time in the unpaid work, such as cooking, cleaning, and caring for children and elders. Informality is also widespread in the agriculture sector. Although there is no accurate data, many women are engaged in growing vegetables and fruits, caring for the livestock and producing medicinal and aromatic plants.
In the study “Through a Gender Lens: Who Decides What in Rural Households in Kosovo?” published recently, the Riinvest Institute suggest that women’s status of employment plays an important role in household decision-making. More precisely, the decision-making is more gender-balanced in the household in which the wife is employed, according to the data collected in the field in rural households in 10 municipalities in Kosovo. According to this study, women’s decision-making at the household level, in general, is weaker compared to men, mostly because of the unequal economic rights and opportunities, women’s lower employment rate, women’s lower land and property ownership.
The International Day of Rural Women is celebrated this year under the theme “Rural women cultivating good food for all“. The UN is calling to recognize the work of these heroines in the food systems of the world, and to claim rural areas with equal opportunities for all.
In this day, the Republic of Kosovo also joins the calls for empowerment of rural women and gender equality. But to make this happen, we need to see a greater commitment of the national and local institutions of Kosovo, supported by the development partners and civil society organizations. To achieve this empowerment, it is necessary to reduce women’s burden of caring for children and elders by providing more childcare and preschool institutions in rural areas, provide education and training programmes for them, explain benefits of formal employment, support them with incentive packages, access to finance and engage them in decision-making processes.
Kosovo has many capable women like Fahrije Hoti, but opportunities for them must be created. Empowering rural women in Kosovo is not an option, it is a must to achieve a sustainable future for all!
Violeta Hyseni Kelmendi has over twenty years of experience in media and communication in Kosovo. Republished from Okruzenje.
