President Stevo Pendarovski stressed the vital role of rural women in the local economy, acknowledging their contributions as farmers, seasonal laborers, and entrepreneurs during an event in Krushevo commemorating the International Day of Rural Women. Despite this, he emphasized that the country still falls significantly short of achieving complete equality for rural women at all levels.

The President called for concerted efforts to promote economic independence and social integration for rural women, emphasizing the importance of supporting women’s leadership and organizations working in this field. He stressed the need for the voices, needs, and challenges of rural women to be acknowledged and resolved, rather than just making declarative statements on this day. Pendarovski advocated for meaningful and ongoing support.

He proposed engaging all stakeholders and forging a functional partnership between state institutions and civil organizations to involve rural women in decision-making processes at all levels. Vaska Mojsovska, President of the National Federation of Farmers, outlined the myriad challenges faced by women in rural communities, including social exclusion, unemployment, gender discrimination, unequal resource distribution, traditional norms, property ownership issues, and limited access to education, information, healthcare, and social services.

Mojsovska highlighted the success of a program offering maternity allowances for women farmers as a significant achievement for this demographic. The Swedish Ambassador to North Macedonia, Ami Larsson Jain, expressed Sweden’s long-standing support for rural women and the need to value them as highly as men in society.

In a video message, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Water Economy, Ljupcho Nikolovski, underscored the government’s commitment to agricultural development with a specific focus on rural women. He highlighted the creation of measures to support rural women and pledged continued support for the advancement of women in all regions, particularly those investing in knowledge, technology, and product marketing.

The event also featured the presentation of certificates to recognize successful women and civil associations dedicated to improving the economic and social status of women in rural areas.