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A set of stories that illustrate, through real life examples, how rural women farmers in Gujarat, India found solutions to some of the challenges they faced.

Women make crucial contributions to agriculture and rural economic activities throughout the developing world, as farmers, workers and entrepreneurs. Their roles vary widely and are changing rapidly as the agriculture sector is becoming more technologically sophisticated, commercially oriented and globally integrated, and as migration patterns and climate variability are changing the rural landscape across the developing world. These forces present challenges for all agricultural producers, and rural women farmers are no exception.

In this set of four stories, we look at how rural women in Gujarat, India responded to such challenges. With the International Day of Rural Women (15 October) this week, the stories offer a timely look at how empowering rural women leads to improved food security, agricultural production, economic growth and well-being for families and communities.