Round table on the occasion of the International Day of Rural Women at CZU

On 15 October 2024, the Faculty of Tropical Agriculture of ČZU hosted a round table on the occasion of the International Day of Rural Women, organized by the EU-funded projects AGRIGEP (1p. 01094158, Horizon Europe) and ADVALUE (Erasmus+). The meeting was opened by the Vice-Rector Prof. Ing. Eva Vlková, Ph.D., who in her introductory speech presented the important pillars of ČZU as a sustainable university, with emphasis on environmental sustainability and gender equality.    

Subsequently, the projects being implemented at ČZU were presented, which either directly focus on empowering women in the agri-food and forestry sector or deal with gender equality in a broader sense, e.g. Fem2Forest, BETTER Life, DEMETRA, GAEA, ADVALUE a AGRIGEP. 

The following programme was in the form of a roundtable discussion on the International Day of Rural Women with the themes Rural Women Cultivating Good Food for All and Rural Women Sustaining Nature for Our Collective Future, which was attended by experts and professionals from universities in three African countries: 

– Assoc. Prof. Lucie Aba Toumnou and Solange Patricia Makatia Nee Wango (Université de Bangui, Central African Republic),  

– Assoc. Prof. Jackline Bonabana Wabbi (Makerere University Kampala, Uganda),  

– Dr. Martin Mutambuka (Uganda Christian University, Uganda),  

– Prof. Cecilia Onyango (University of Nairobi, Kenya),  

– Dr. Elisha Otieno (Pwani University Kilifi, Kenya).  

The moderation was taken by Ing. Jana Mazancová, Ph.D., who has been working on gender issues for a long time. The main topics of discussion were the central role of rural women in food security and sustainable development. Challenges faced by rural women were also discussed. These include socio-cultural and legislative barriers limiting access to land, technology and education, and unpaid work. Discussants also highlighted the need for training initiatives and support for rural women, who often play a key role in agricultural and environmental activities but are not fully involved in decision-making processes.