This International Women’s Day, the theme “Give to Gain” invites reflection not only on what must be invested, but on how change is built. For FAO’s Communication for Development (ComDev), investing in rural women and girls means strengthening the communication processes that allow them to participate, influence decisions and shape the future of agrifood systems. 

Rural women and girls are central to food security and rural economies. They produce a significant share of the world’s food and safeguard biodiversity, natural resources and local knowledge. Yet their work often remains invisible, and their access to land, finance, education, technology and decision-making spaces is still constrained by structural and social barriers.