“Warriors” is a publication by IICA that seeks to give visibility to women’s contribution to rural development, as well as to promote policies that would remedy their disadvantaged position and eliminate the discrimination that they face in the productive, domestic and organizational realms. The Institute believes that it is imperative to foster discussions on the importance of ensuring that rural women have access to land, financial products and services, as well as training opportunities. These discussions should also focus on women’s organizational capabilities and equality within their families and communities.

As we prepare to launch a second edition of “Warriors,” we are inaugurating this forum in the hope that it will allow for collecting feedback on the first edition, and that it will serve as an open platform for reflection. This, in turn, will bolster future actions undertaken by the Institute, its partners and authorities across the region that are involved in rural development, with the aim of incorporating a gender approach and, in this way, achieve more and better conditions for equality and equity. We owe it to these warriors, given their role in food production, environmental protection and organization at the local and national levels.

We encourage you to take part in these discussions and to reflect on these issues, so that we may contribute to fostering sustainable, equitable and inclusive development.