To mark International Day of Rural Women 2025, we celebrate their leadership, resilience and work towards a world where they are the architects and beneficiaries of a sustainable future.

Knowledge is power for Shubhakala Kumari Sah, a farmer from Rampur Pipra Village in the Siraha District of Nepal’s Madhesh Province. She leads the Sitaram Women Farmers’ Group formed under the Joint Programme on Accelerating Progress towards Rural Women’s Economic Empowerment (JP-RWEE) – implemented by UN Women, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and World Food Programme (WFP), and funded by Norway and Sweden in Nepal.

Married at 18, Sah’s formal education ended early. But at age 42, she returned to school and passed her Grade 12 exams. Today, she uses that same determination to guide women in her community to embrace new farming skills, financial literacy and collective leadership.

“The programme may end,” says Sah, “but our learning will continue because it has changed how we live and who we are.”

In Nepal, JP-RWEE has supported over 5,508 rural women like Sah, and 207 rural men in Madhesh Province’s Siraha and Saptari Districts. Through training, technology and collective action, the programme has nurtured women’s leadership, improved food security, increased financial literacy, nutrition and market access, and built community and climate resilience.

In a region where 52 per cent of households are women-headed due to men’s out-migration, women carry the twin responsibilities of managing homes and farmlands. Hence, JP-RWEE has turned this challenge into an opportunity, equipping women to lead economically and socially, where UN Women plays an integral part.

From silence to solidarity

Bimala Devi Kamait, from Pokharbhinda Village, recalls rarely leaving her home or speaking to men in public. Like many other women, her empowerment began with her voice.

Today, she leads the Saraswati Women Farmer Group, addressing community issues including gender-based violence: “Earlier, we wouldn’t have dared to speak. Now, we stand together.”

In Pokharbhinda, the Custom Hiring Centre established through JP-RWEE support is providing access to modern agricultural machinery such as tractors, tillers, threshers and sprayers, reducing drudgery, saving time and boosting productivity.

“We no longer wait months for a tractor. Farming has become easier, especially for older women and those with sons abroad,” says Kamait.

The programme has also empowered women to rethink what they grow and how they grow it. Farmers now use crop calendars, organic pesticides and mobile apps to manage their farms. By diversifying crops, improving soil health and integrating nutrition education into their agriculture practices, these women are building resilience.

Mamata Chaudhary, from Mirjapur Village, once grew vegetables only for household use. Now she sells her produce in the market. “It’s not just extra income,” she says. “It’s pride.”

She also advocates for better maternal nutrition after learning how her first pregnancy was affected by a poor diet: “Now I know that caring for ourselves is caring for our families.”

From dependency to leadership

JP-RWEE’s financial literacy training has also empowered many women to open small businesses, start dairy or fish farming and join savings groups.

Sarita Kumari Mehata, from Saptari, used her financial knowledge to document her family’s land. “I managed to transfer our land deeds myself,” she says proudly.

Across villages, women who strengthened their leadership capacities through JP-RWEE are attending ward meetings, school management committees and cooperatives, reshaping decision-making spaces once closed to them. Women are leading sustainable practices, planting climate-resilient crops, restoring soils and preserving biodiversity. And their leadership is changing community perceptions.

“We’re no longer just someone’s wife or daughter-in-law,” says Kamait. “Now people call us by our names, invite us to meetings and listen when we speak.”

What makes JP-RWEE unique is its integrated approach of challenging discriminatory norms and promoting women’s leadership by combining income-generation, nutrition, financial literacy, collective action and climate-resilience technology with local governance.

And this is having a larger impact, says Laxmipur Patari’s Mayor, Chaturananda Thakur: “Women are now organized, running enterprises and speaking up in public spaces. They’re not only participants in development. They’re leading it.”

Aden, Yemen - The Minister of State and Governor of Aden Governorate, Ahmed Hamed Lamlas, stressed the importance of prioritizing development projects that directly serve women and the community. He commended the role of UN Women in adopting projects that target women and support their economic empowerment, ensuring decent livelihoods for women and their families.

This was stated during the inauguration of “Souq Al-Women”, which opened this morning in the Crater neighborhood of Seera District as the first women-led market. The initiative is part of the Women’s Economic Empowerment and Community Advancement Project, implemented by UN Women Yemen in partnership with Badeel Foundation for Development and in cooperation with the Seera District Local Council.

UN Women Representative in Yemen, Ms Dina Zorba, said that the opening of the Women’s Market responds to the needs of women working in the market and represents a practical step toward supporting women-led economic initiatives. She noted that the initiative reflects UN Women’s commitment to enhancing women’s participation in economic activity and supporting pathways toward sustainable local development.

For his part, Seera District Director Mahmoud Jarradi highlighted that the project demonstrates the importance of partnership between local authorities, the United Nations, and international organizations in supporting the women’s local economy. He added that the market contributes to integrating women into commercial activity, improving their working conditions, and strengthening economic stability for their businesses.

Meanwhile, Mona Abbas, Director of Badeel Foundation for Development, explained that the project went through several phases, including concept development, site rehabilitation, vendor training, and the selection of approximately 50 women vendors who were provided with kiosks to operate, in addition to facilitation in accessing goods.

The launch of the Women’s Market comes as part of broader efforts to enhance women’s economic empowerment and improve livelihoods by providing a safe and decent working environment for women vendors. This enables them to work with dignity and security and achieve a sustainable income that contributes to revitalizing the local economy.

The project included developing the market’s infrastructure, ensuring protection and appropriate safety equipment, installing lighting, and providing kiosks distributed to nearly 50 women vendors—many of whom are family breadwinners and from low-income backgrounds. This opens real opportunities for work, production, display, and marketing across diverse trades and crafts, and contributes to strengthening community confidence in women’s productive capacities.

The inauguration ceremony featured various cultural performances and was attended by representatives of local authorities, civil society organizations, and stakeholders working on women’s rights and economic empowerment.

A new day care service in Elbasan, Albania, is giving a helping hand to vulnerable mothers and families and providing them with a chance to work, by repurposing a former orphanage into a beacon of solidarity and change. This is part of a local effort supported by UN Women and the European Union to turn gender equality policies into everyday change.

Every morning, Elena Tallamishi, 33, walks through the gates of the Sisters of Mother Teresa Center, her four-year-old son Omar holding her hand. For months and months, she was a stay-at-home mom, juggling childcare and housework, while living with the anxiety of not being able to earn enough to support her family. Her parents live far away, and her income barely covered rent and food. Now, however, things are set to change.

"I'm going to look for a steady job," she tells Sister Laura. "Now that Omar can stay here, maybe I can finally find something better."

For Elena, the center is more than a childcare service – it is an opportunity to provide for her family. She will now be able to earn an income without the constant fear of leaving her child unattended.

The Municipality of Elbasan is investing in women’s empowerment and family support services, with UN Women’s technical assistance and European Union funding through the EU for Gender Equality Project. These partnerships have helped the municipality develop gender-responsive action plans that turn equality commitments into tangible services for women.

56-year-old Zamira Korra shares the same sense of relief and possibility; she is now raising her granddaughter after her daughter’s poor health left her unable to care for her child. "I had to take full responsibility," Zamira Korra says, “I’m her grandmother, but to all intents and purposes, I am now her mother.”

As someone who was working full-time, she faced an impossible choice: to keep her job and risk leaving the baby unattended, or to quit and lose her livelihood. State-run kindergartens have limited operating hours, which did not fit her work schedule.

Everything changed when the Sisters of Mother Teresa Center decided to transform the residential center into a daily care service.

"If the sisters weren't there, I wouldn’t have been able to manage," she says. "Now I can go to work in the knowledge that she is safe, loved, and learning. They take care of food, clothing, and care, things I was not able to always provide. Now I can work without that constant fear."

Turning Policy into Care

Behind these personal transformations lies a broader story of collaboration. Anchored in the Municipality of Elbasan’s second Local Gender Equality Action Plan (2022–2024), these achievements reflect a coordinated, multi-sectoral effort that combines economic, social, and governance priorities, which comprise from gender-responsive institutions and budgeting, to protection from gender-based violence and inclusive access to childcare and education.

The Municipality of Elbasan’s Local Gender Equality Action Plan (2022–2024) was structured around four key intervention areas. It focused on strengthening gender equality governance and accountability through gender-responsive budgeting and transparent monitoring; reducing gender stereotypes and multiple forms of discrimination through education and positive parenting initiatives; promoting women’s employment and economic empowerment with targeted measures for women entrepreneurs and those re-entering the labor market; and enhancing protection and coordinated responses to gender-based violence to ensure safety, access to justice, and integrated local services.

The establishment of the Sisters of Mother Teresa Center is one of the Plan’s most tangible results, a clear example of how gender equality policies are translated into real-life services that give women and men equal opportunities to work, be represented, and access social services.

The municipality worked closely with the Sisters of Mother Teresa, who were facing closure of their residential orphanage as fewer children required institutional care. Instead of shutting down, they chose to reinvent their mission, transforming the premises into a day care center catering to the needs of vulnerable families, with guidance from the municipality and support from UN Women, within the European Union for Gender Equality project.

Supported by UN Women and European Union under the EU for Gender Equality Project, Elbasan and other municipalities across Albania have designed Gender Equality Action Plans. These plans make local authorities more responsive to community needs, from promoting women’s economic empowerment and inclusive childcare, to advancing gender-responsive governance and ensuring protection from gender-based violence.

Taken together, these priorities make the Plan a comprehensive roadmap for advancing gender equality across all sectors of local governance.

“In Elbasan, gender equality is not just a commitment we have made on paper or in words; it’s the way we understand the development of our city,” says Mayor Gledian Llatja. “During the implementation of the two Local Gender Equality Action Plans, we have seen a clear change in how women and girls engage in economic life. Today, we have more women working thanks to the technical support of UN Women and the European Union, and in close collaboration with local NGOs. This impact wouldn’t have been possible without the support of all these partners.”

The Municipality of Elbasan signed the European Charter for Equality of Women and Men in Local Life in 2017,^[1] with technical assistance from UN Women, thus becoming one of the first six municipalities to recognize the Charter and become its signatories, with the support of the Austrian Development Agency. Soon after, with UN Women’s guidance and the same financial support, Elbasan and four other municipalities adopted their first Gender Equality Action Plans (2018-2020), mapping priorities and budgets to promote equal opportunities for all. This experience laid the foundation for subsequent plans that have further advanced gender-responsive governance and local services.

A Sister’s Calling

Sister Laura, the Center’s director, is one of the local actors who have joined in the municipality’s ongoing efforts to make Elbasan a more inclusive place for women and families. With decades of experience as a nurse and missionary across four continents, she arrived in Albania 18 months ago, ready and eager to continue the Sisters’ legacy of care and service.

“Our relationship with the municipality is not just a formal or institutional one; it is genuinely and primarily one based on friendship,” she says. “We know we can count on them whenever we need support. Our needs, and the community’s needs, are always listened to. I can always call, ask for advice, and receive thoughtful guidance and new ideas.”

At Christmas, people from across Elbasan came with donations, food, clothing, and toys, without even being asked.

“The door was never closed,” Sister Laura recalls warmly. “People brought so much from their hearts. This solidarity made me realize that we must continue; it is our mission to care for these children and support their mothers.”

Now, the Sisters of Mother Teresa Center echoes again with the children’s laughter and the footsteps of mothers heading to work, a living symbol of what gender equality can achieve when it begins close to home. For women like Elena and Zamira, the Center represents much more than a safe space for their children, it is a bridge between care and opportunity, dependence and dignity.

These experiences demonstrate how local gender action plans can turn commitments into lasting transformation, by creating inclusive cities where gender equality is lived in practice, empowering every woman and man, every girl and boy, and ensuring that no one is left behind.