15th October 2026 | Rural News

International Day Of Rural Women

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International Day Of Rural Women

Today marks the International Day of Rural Women, established by the United Nations in 2007 to honour rural and indigenous women’s contribution to agriculture, food security and the environment.

Rural women make up about a quarter of the world’s population and nearly half of the global agricultural workforce, yet own just one in five parcels of farmland worldwide.

Here in New Zealand, women are running farms, driving trucks, treating stock as vets, and leading in paddocks and boardrooms, often balancing on-farm work with family and community commitments.

Many rural women say finding their feet in farming took time, but describe the journey as rewarding, with far more support now available than in generations past.

Tell us about a great rural woman in your life and she could win a Life and Leisure subscription.