International Day of Rural Women
A/RES/62/136
A/RES/62/136
This authority record treats the observance as a fixed annual date. The same month and day can be reused unless a stronger source changes the rule. Public-holiday or government status is never inferred from the observance name alone.
Overview
International Day of Rural Women is observed on 15 October to recognize the critical roles and contributions of rural women, including Indigenous women, in agriculture, food security, rural development and community life.
The observance also draws attention to unequal access to resources, services, infrastructure, decision-making and economic opportunities that can affect women in rural areas.
Why it matters
Rural women are not one uniform group. Their work, rights and priorities differ by country, community, livelihood, age, land system and household situation.
Useful coverage therefore combines recognition with practical questions about land and property rights, access to finance and technology, health and education services, social protection, safe work and participation in decisions.
History
The UN General Assembly established the International Day of Rural Women through resolution 62/136 in December 2007.
The first UN observance was held on 15 October 2008. The establishing resolution recognizes the critical role and contribution of rural women to agricultural and rural development, food security and poverty eradication.
How the observance developed
This timeline is assembled only from verified provenance fields. Missing stages are omitted rather than inferred.
United Nations General Assembly
UN General Assembly resolution 62/136
First documented observance
The first UN observance was held on 15 October 2008.
What the evidence establishes
Verified institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Fields that the reviewed sources do not establish remain fail-closed and are available below without competing with the confirmed record.
5 fields not established in reviewed sources
Ways to observe
Learn about a rural women-led cooperative, producer organization, community group or enterprise in your region.
Review whether a project involving rural communities includes women in decision-making rather than only as beneficiaries.
Support organizations that improve access to land rights, finance, markets, education, health care or digital tools where those priorities are locally identified.
Use current local or national data when discussing rural inequality; avoid assuming global averages describe every community.
Credit women’s expertise in farming, natural-resource management, caregiving, entrepreneurship and community leadership without romanticizing unpaid or unsafe workloads.
Useful facts
International Day of Rural Women is observed on 15 October.
The UN General Assembly established the day in 2007 through resolution 62/136.
The first observance was held in 2008.
The UN resolution explicitly recognizes rural women’s contribution to agriculture, rural development, food security and poverty eradication.
Statistics about land ownership, employment or access to services should be refreshed because they vary by place and time.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
Evidence & sources
Repeated links from the authority record, institutional provenance and editorial guide research are consolidated here. Badges show how each source is used; a contextual source is never treated as proof of establishment on its own.
un.org — authoritative source (opens in a new tab)
United Nations Digital Library — A/RES/62/136 (opens in a new tab)
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then use reviewed distinctions and related authority records to understand where this observance fits.
Frequently asked questions
When is International Day of Rural Women?
15 October The stored recurrence guidance is: 15 October.
Does International Day of Rural Women fall on the same date every year?
The authority record classifies it as fixed annual, so its month and day are reusable unless stronger evidence changes the rule.
Is International Day of Rural Women an official public holiday?
The authority record verifies it within this scope: United Nations international observance. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when the supporting authority record explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes International Day of Rural Women?
The reviewed provenance layer identifies United Nations General Assembly as the proclaiming or establishing body.
Is International Day of Rural Women international or country-specific?
The record has international or global institutional scope: United Nations international observance. That does not mean every country treats the date as a public holiday or observes it in the same way.
How is this page verified?
The factual layer is source-backed and keeps its date rule, scope, provenance and editorial guardrails attached to the authority record. This record was checked on 2026-09-05.
When is International Day of Rural Women?
It is observed every year on 15 October.
When was the observance established?
The UN General Assembly established it in 2007, and the first observance was held on 15 October 2008.
Is the day only about farming?
No. Agriculture is important, but the UN framing also covers rural development, services, rights, economic participation, decision-making and broader community life.
Other observances on October 15
These records also resolve to October 15, 2026 under the current authority data.
Commemoration Day of the King Father (Norodom Sihanouk)
Cambodian government 2026 holiday calendars identify 15 October as the Commemoration Day of the King Father, Norodom Sihanouk.
Fête de l’Évacuation
Tunisia’s government information lists Fête de l’Évacuation on 15 October among public holidays and cites Decree 2011-317 for the holiday schedule.
Get Smart About Credit Day
The American Bankers Association states that Get Smart About Credit Day is observed on the third Thursday in October; its current materials identify 15 October 2026.
Global Handwashing Day
Global Handwashing Partnership
International Credit Union Day
World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU)
International ShakeOut Day
Great ShakeOut materials identify International ShakeOut Day as the third Thursday of October and promote earthquake drill participation