THE contributions of rural women across the globe will be recognised and celebrated today to mark World Rural Women's Day.
World Rural Women’s Day began at a UN conference for women in Beijing in September 1995 as a way to obtain recognition and support for the multiple roles of rural women.
Around the world rural women, mainly farmers, represent a 1.6 billion people or a quarter of the world's population and produce more than half of all the food that is grown.
Federal Opposition spokeswomen for women Sophie Mirabella, who represents the rural electorate of Indi in Victoria, said World Rural Women's Day was an opportunity to recognise the great work of rural women’s networks including the Country Women's Association, National Rural Women’s Coalition and Australian Women in Agriculture.
"Australia has a wonderful tradition of strong rural women supporting and being supported by their local communities," Ms Mirabella said.
"While machinery and modern technology may have made working the land a little different these days, there certainly is no shortage of new challenges facing today’s rural women."
Ms Mirabella said many women had added an off-farm job to their workload due to the prolonger drought.
Opposition Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Senator Richard Colbeck said rural women had been integral to establishing Landcare, the School of the Air and quality assurance systems.
"Rural women have worked incredibly hard to establish farming businesses, to produce crops, tend to livestock and to care for Australia’s fertile lands," Senator Colbeck said.
"They have done this while rearing families, building communities and becoming industry promoters and lobbyists."