AGRI-WOMEN TO REAP NEW OPPORTUNITY AT WORLD CONFERENCE
KALAMAZOO, Mich., Nov. 13, 1997 -- The Second World Conference on Women in Agriculture will be held in Washington D.C., June 28-July 2, 1998, Jill Long Thompson announced today. The Under Secretary for Rural Development at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Long Thompson is a member of the President's Interagency Council on Women. The Council is sponsoring the conference, which is expected to draw 1,200 delegates from more than 40 countries.
Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman described the upcoming conference as a milestone event. "When you set out to tackle the issues faced by 25 percent of the world's population -- rural women -- you are really addressing the issues that all of us face," he said. "This gathering will provide an opportunity for women in agriculture to gain new skills and knowledge, and I am excited that USDA is going to be taking the lead in its organization."
"Rural women make up one fourth of the population of the world, yet they are largely unrecognized for the contributions they make," said U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright, Chair of the President's Council on Women. "They play a major role not only in their individual communities, but in helping produce the food and raw materials that spur growth in the global economy. In some countries women produce as much as 80 percent of the food supply."
In remarks to the American AgriWomen's national conference here today, Long Thompson said that the conference will expand international awareness of this vital role, and focus attention on some of the specific concerns faced by rural women.
"Whether managing the family farm or major ranches, working as farm laborers, running agricultural research laboratories or serving as agricultural officials, women today can be found in every niche of agriculture," she said. "But many women still face major obstacles when they set out to fill roles that have traditionally been held by men."
The first World Conference on Women in Agriculture was held in 1994 in Australia. It was organized by Australian dairy farmer, Mary Salce, to bring together women in agriculture in anticipation of the Fourth United Nations Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995. The Second World Conference is a follow up to both the Australia and Beijing meetings.
For more information on the conference, visit the ICWA Website, or write 1400 Independence Ave, SW Room 211W, Washington, DC 20250-0107.