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The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries calls upon all to celebrate the gallantry of rural women in their contribution to food production and improving food security to eradicate hunger and rural poverty.

"In these tight economic times, rural women are in the forefront of ensuring that their families and their communities receive a supply of food produced from smallholdings, mostly using indigenous technologies while at the same time enhancing agricultural and rural development." Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson said in recognition of the International Day of Rural women for 15 October 2012.

The department identified employment creation through support for smallholders and processors in agriculture, forestry and fisheries as one of its contributory components in rural and agrarian reform. In order to produce food that is affordable, nutritious and enough for the country, it requires supporting policies that are focused on areas of high challenges and at the same time has the greatest potential. In this regard, focus in rural communities and especially, rural women further investing in what they have already started.

"Through Masibambisane Rural Development Initiative, food production is elevated as one of the national priorities spearheaded by the Presidency. Already, this campaign has reached in particular, rural women in Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga rural provinces."

Women in rural areas adopt specific strategies in order to deal with challenges of food security in these times of high food prices. Women are known to become the buffer for their families in any difficult situation, particularly in times of food pressures.

"Since they are the ones who would give away their ration of food to members of their family, it is then of utmost importance to strengthen their food productive abilities with appropriate agriculture, forestry and fisheries policies that will improve their production resources, technology and skills and emancipate their efforts from subsistence food production to economically viable small and medium enterprises."

The department has set a target of establishing 15 000 smallholder producers with a particular focus to women.

"Women in rural areas have displayed enterprising abilities through the sale of their produce. To build on this foundation and to achieve development that has multiple spill over effects that deepens and expands wealth creation, creating jobs and addressing rural economic development challenges, the Department has undertaken multi-stakeholder engagements to link producers with the markets."

For communities, particularly women along the rural coastal regions, the Small Scale Fishing Policy will enable improved livelihood and food security from the marine resources.

"For this purpose, the department recognises that the allocation of rights is only a part of the process. The policy will make it possible for small scale fishers to develop and uplift themselves contributing to eradication of poverty, ensuring food security and promoting equity without endangering ecological sustainability."

A community orientation approach will be followed in ensuring responsible use of natural resources. For the marginalised, this process will include re-establishing the culture and the capability to live through the use of the land and marine resources with strategic linkages in order to grow and access markets.

"Through support for smallholders and processors, we can be able to evaluate the extent to which our policies have created jobs, food security and sustainable livelihoods. We have to ensure that our products embody value addition and therefore, we will, in line with the body and principle of IPAP II, pay particular attention to agro processing, and further assist rural women in their constant effort to food production and food security."

The International Women’s Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 62/136 and recognised the critical role and contribution of rural women, including indigenous women, in enhancing agricultural and rural development, improving food security and eradicating rural poverty.