Intl Women's Day: UN highlights work of rural women

On International Women's Day the United Nations has held events to celebrate and highlight the work of women in rural communities.

These women are often the backbone of economies outside urban centers around the world.

But they are still not treated equally, with many facing discrimination, prejudice and even sexual violence.

Nick Harper reports from the UN in New York.

IN: "They make..."
OUT: SOC
DUR: 2:32

AIR: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0308women-nh-air.mp3
ARN: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0308women-nh-arn.mp3
FM4: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0308women-nh-fm4.mp3
GENERIC: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0308women-nh-gen.mp3
ICRT: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0308women-nh-icrt.mp3
NIGERIA: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0308women-nh-von.mp3
938LIVE: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0308women-nh-938.mp3
RNZ: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0308women-nh-rnz.mp3
VATICAN: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0308women-nh-vat.mp3
ZIZ: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0308women-nh-ziz.mp3
SABC: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0308women-nh-sabc.mp3

TAKE VO
They make up a quarter of the world's population, but most are left behind by development. These are the rural women.
But at a time when women's rights have come to the fore in developed nations, in many other countries these issues are still hidden beneath the surface. Here's UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

SOT - Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations: "Let us declare loud and clear "The Time is Now."

TAKE VO
At the United Nations in New York, the UN chief highlighted the challenges rural women face, like unequal pay, difficulties in owning land, and often violence.

SOT - Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations: "All around the world we need to listen to the women and girls who are rightly proclaiming their rights. We must join together as partners – women and girls, men and boys – to make gender equality a reality for all. Our aspirations for a world of peace, prosperity, dignity and opportunity for all depend on it."

TAKE VO
The past year has seen the rise of the #MeToo movement, with countries speaking out against sexual assault and harassment. But that movement hasn't made it as far as many rural communities, says the head of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.

SOT - Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Head of UN Women: "In the case of the Oscars and Hollywood, because they have such visibility it is an important forum because what they are able to do gains greater visibility than something that is done by someone who is far away in Sri Lanka - they might not be able to get that visibility."

TAKE VO
Women often have care and domestic responsibilities, which impact their agricultural output, and the wages they are able to earn. Venge Nyirongo is a Policy Specialist at UN Women.

SOT - Venge Nyirongo, Policy Specialist, UN Women: "All that is affected by how much burden they get to subjected to while at home; but also at community levels, because the norms that guide societal behavior are still prejudiced against women."

TAKE VO
For the first time, the UN's senior management team is now made up equally of men and women. That gender parity will also be true for the leaders of UN Country Teams by next month. Change is coming from the very top, here at UN headquarters. But that change is still a long way off reaching the bottom, and altering the way women are treated in rural communities around the world.

SOC


ENDS