KARACHI, Oct 15: The world observed October 15 as the Rural Women's Day, aimed to raise the profile of rural women, sensitise both the government and public to their crucial, yet largely unrecognised roles, and promote action in their support, however no activity was reported anywhere in Pakistan to mark the day.

The theme of the day this year was 'Rural Women: Leaders of Tomorrow'. Observing such days in Pakistan are much needed to create awareness among the masses about rural women who despite contributing a lot to the economy of the country through hard work, they are faced with immense problems like illiteracy, malnutrition, insufficient health cover, violence etc.

According to official statistics, 79.4 per cent of rural women are engaged in agriculture as against 60.8 per cent of rural men; Women extensively participate in the production of major crops; the intensity of their labour varies by crop and specific crop management tasks; Women have active, intensive involvement in livestock production and forest product harvest; Women's heavy workload - with dual responsibility for farm and household production - is increasing as agriculture is feminised; Women's work is getting harder and more time-consuming due to ecological degradation and economic crisis.

Women contribute to household income through farm and non-farm activities, particularly through cottage industry. Women's work as family labour is grossly under-reported. The literacy rate for urban women (37.3 per cent) is more than five times the rate for rural women (7.3 per cent).

The rural women work longer than men. Surveys have revealed that a woman worked 12 to 15 hours a day on various economic activities and household chores. Women from an average farm family remain extremely busy during the two farming seasons in sowing and harvesting.

A rural woman in Pakistan works 15.50 hours a day, spending 5.50 hours in caring for livestock, but provide only 50 minutes for the care of her children.

Women involved in caring and rearing of livestock and poultry, carry out wide range of tasks such as making feed concentrates, feeding, collecting fodder, grazing, cleaning animals and their sheds, making dung cakes, collecting manure for organic fertiliser, as well as milking, processing and marketing of animal products (making ghee, selling eggs, etc.). In Pakistan, women are responsible for 60 to 80 per cent of the feeding and milking of cattle. —PPI