2026 has been declared the International Year of the Woman Farmer by the United Nations General Assembly.
The United Nations hopes that this will be an opportune moment to raise awareness of the crucial role of women farmers in the world’s food systems. Women farmers are key to ensuring food security, food access and nutrition for people, and therefore to eradicating poverty.
2026 is expected to be a year in which effective policies and actions are adopted to address the barriers and challenges faced by women farmers, and to promote gender equality and their empowerment.
According to the FAO’s report “The Status of Women in Agrifood Systems” (2023), despite the fact that women farmers represent 39 % of the global agricultural workforce, women suffer significant discrimination, continue to face challenges in land and livestock ownership, do not enjoy equal wages, are not taken into account in decision-making and have difficulty accessing credit or financial services.
The International Year of the Woman Farmer aims to enhance global commitment to addressing these disparities.
With this commemoration in 2026, the United Nations recognises “the fundamental role of rural women in global food systems and is committed to addressing the challenges they face” and expects the effort and collaboration of countries, UN entities, civil society, academia, the private sector, local communities, indigenous peoples… to raise awareness, implement concrete measures and pave the way for more efficient and inclusive, resilient and sustainable food systems.
