South Africa, through the Ministry
of Agriculture and Land Affairs will host the 4th World Congress of Rural Women
at the International Convention Centre in Durban from 23 to 26 April, 2007. The
congress will be preceded by an African Consultation of Rural Women that will
be held at the same venue from 19 to 21 April, 2007. Similarly, other regions
are encouraged to hold regional consultations prior to the congress.
The World Congress of Rural Women is an international gathering
of rural women, which occurs at four-year intervals. The congress has been
hosted previously by Australia in 1994, the USA in 1998 and Spain in 2002. The
hosting of the Fourth World Congress of Rural Women by Africa was informed by
the resolutions of the 2002 Congress held in Spain, when Ms Graca Machel
received a ceremonial bowl, marking acceptance for South Africa to host the
Fourth World Congress on behalf of Africa.
The aim of the congress is to discuss universal and wide-ranging
issues confronting rural women today and to share concrete experiences of
successes in addressing these worldwide. These include: globalisation; trade;
sustainable development (social, economic and environment); gender equality;
food security and related issues of access to land, water, finance, new
technologies, transport and roads; rural housing, women’s health, governance
and the impact of public policies on rural women.
Since its inception, discussions in these fora have provided a global
perspective on issues confronting women in the world’s rural areas. The
theme of this upcoming congress is United in our diversity: Working
together towards the total emancipation of rural women from poverty and
hunger.
About 2 000 local and international delegates are expected to participate
in the congress. Delegates will be drawn from rural women themselves,
government, civil society, international and intergovernmental
organisations, nongovernmental organisations and community-based
organisations.
In South Africa, representation will be organised under the umbrella
body f Women in Agriculture and Rural Development (WARD),
which was launched on 15 October 2006. In addition, other rural women formations from all sectors will participate.
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