DALLAS, Aug 26 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) — Rural women comprise a quarter of the world’s population and are the backbone of their economies, comprising an estimated 40% of the agricultural labor force in developing countries as farmers, wage earners, and entrepreneurs.1 Despite their critical contributions to local economies, they continue to face structural barriers to asset ownership, equal pay, participation in decision-making forums, and access to resources and markets. Cultural norms also result in women shouldering most of the responsibility for unpaid care and domestic work.2
Recognizing that improving the lives of rural women is key to fighting poverty and achieving sustainable development, UNDP China and Mary Kay, in collaboration with the China Women’s Development Foundation, the China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges, the Women’s Federation of Yunnan Province and Yongren County Government, launched the SDG Pilot Village Project in Waipula, Yunnan Province, China in 2017.