Harumi Suzuki, president of National Council of Agricultural Cooperative Women’s Associations, had a meeting with Evelyn Nguleka, the first female president of World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO) headquartered at Rome, Italy, at Livingstone, Zambia on May 5, where the WFO’s General Assembly was held during three days since May 4.
At the meeting, WFO’s president Nguleka touched upon women’s participation in farmers’ organization, and emphasized the importance of their ability to advocate their views to the outside of the organization.
Harumi Suzuki, a member of Japanese agricultural cooperatives’ delegation to the WFO conference, shared Nguleka’s view and pointed out that agricultural women, participating in their farm organization, will be more required to play an active role at the organization in the coming years.
The world farmers’ leader Nguleka agreed with the Japanese female farmers’ leader Suzuki, and said “Farmers’ organizations are mostly represented by male members. On the other hand, however, rural women have got their hands full with work to do. I am concerned females’ appeals on their roles have not been fully understood by male members.”
Evelyn Nguleka, WFO’ president, further emphasized “Female farmers should be sufficiently provided with educational opportunities. It will be very important for them to gain self-confidence to express themselves with their own views.”