Three Rome-based United Nations agencies marked International Women’s Day this year with a joint event squarely focused on expanding women farmers’ access to justice, rights, and economic opportunity, as detailed in an official statement published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Held at FAO Headquarters in Rome and livestreamed globally, the event brought together the FAO, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) under the banner of this year’s theme: “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls.” The occasion also falls within the global International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026, a yearlong push by the three agencies to drive real policy and investment change for women in agriculture.
Women farmers feed much of the world, yet they remain locked out of the land, credit, and services that would let them do so on equal terms. Unequal access to finance, social protection, legal recourse, and information continue to hold women back across agrifood systems — a gap the three agencies have made a central focus this year.
The event drew powerful statements from all three agency heads. FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu put it plainly: “When women farmers succeed, everyone benefits.” WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain was equally direct, saying that despite women’s outsized role in keeping families fed, “they’re too often locked out of land, credit and the tools that could transform the critical role they already play.”
IFAD Vice-President Gérardine Mukeshimana added that equal access for rural women doesn’t just help women — it drives broader rural economic growth.
A high-level panel explored the governance and policy measures needed to secure women’s rights, while a central discussion featured voices from farmers’ organizations across Italy, India, Spain, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Egypt. Speakers shared first-hand accounts of the legal and administrative hurdles women farmers navigate daily, as well as community-driven solutions helping women build legal awareness, access markets, and step into leadership roles.
The celebration also included a cultural dimension — an exhibition at the FAO Food and Agriculture Museum, a live cooking show led by women farmers and chefs, and the unveiling of a commemorative 5-euro silver coin produced by Italy’s State Mint honoring women’s contributions across agriculture, fisheries, livestock, and forestry. Leadership of the annual event was formally passed to IFAD, which will host the 2027 edition, signaling that this collaborative commitment is built to last well beyond a single day on the calendar.
