Sappi Forests acknowledges International Day of Rural Women
With around 4,000 women employed directly or indirectly by Sappi Forests nationwide– through its own personnel in its nurseries, and sub-contracted to its harvesting and silviculture contractors – the company is very aware of the crucial role that rural women play in the agricultural labour force. It is to these women that the United Nations have dedicated the International Day of Rural Women, celebrated on 15 October every year. Fittingly, the theme for this year is “Building rural women’s resilience in the wake of COVID-19” and highlights the fact that the specific struggles that rural women face in their daily lives were further aggravated by the pandemic. World Food Day is another significant UN commemorative day which follows immediately on 16 October and further ties in the crucial role that rural women play in combating top on the list of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 1 ‘No Poverty’ and SDG2 ‘Zero Hunger’).