As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to commemorate International Day of the Rural Women, Lagos State government has assured of plans to strengthen its grassroots empowerment efforts to boost the conditions of women living in rural communities.

In her welcome address at the celebration in Epe, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), Mrs. Cecilia Dada, said rural women have long been the backbone of various societies, contributing significantly to agricultural productivity, food security and sustainable development.

In a statement, she lamented that in spite of the global food system being hinged on the daily work of rural women, which contributes to at least 50 per cent of the workforce, they still suffer gender-inequality such as less access to land, credits agricultural inputs and even obtain low prices for their crops.

Dada said: “This year, we gather under the global theme ‘Rural Women Confront Global Cost-of-Living Crisis’, while recognising the vital role, which rural women play in addressing the challenges posed by the rising cost-of-living worldwide.

Empowering rural women is not just a moral imperative, it is also a critical step towards achieving sustainable development and eradicating poverty.

“I want to fervently state here that investing in education, health, and economic empowerment of rural women not only benefits them, but also yields significant positive impacts on their families, communities, and the entire nation.

“I want to inform you that as a government, we remain committed to amplifying these efforts and ensuring that rural women are provided with the necessary tools and resources to confront the cost-of-living crisis.’’

She assured that through the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, the state government would continue to implement programmes and initiatives aimed at empowering rural women economically.

“We would focus on providing skills training, access to financial services, and promoting entrepreneurship to enable rural women to become active participants in sustainable economic activities.

The commissioner added that the ministry would ensure rural women have access to financial services, such as microcredit, savings accounts and insurance, saying they are crucial for rural women.