Zaid Abu Asaf, Director of Agriculture for Damascus and its countryside, confirmed on Thursday that supporting and empowering rural women economically and socially constitutes a fundamental part of the Ministry of Agriculture's plans, given their important role in agricultural development, enhancing food security, and improving the living standards of families and society. Abu Asaf explained to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on the occasion of the International Day for Rural Women, which falls on October 15 of each year, that the Ministry implements annual plans through the Rural Guidance and Development Department to develop the cultural, scientific, and practical capacities of rural women. These plans include seminars, practical demonstrations, and guidance workshops, alongside supporting productive projects and marketing their products.
Abu Asaf pointed out that the countryside of Damascus includes five government food processing units that provide the necessary space and equipment for production. These units supervise the manufacturing of high-quality rural food products, contributing to providing sustainable income sources and new job opportunities for women. He noted that support efforts include organizing exhibitions and free bazaars, as well as opening sales outlets in Damascus and its countryside. This enables rural women to market their products, reach new markets, and sell directly to consumers without intermediaries.
For his part, Bassam Al-Hussein, Director of Public Relations at the General Federation of Farmers, confirmed that women's cooperatives play a fundamental role in empowering rural women economically and socially. This is achieved by transitioning from low-yield individual work to organized production, which helps develop skills, increase income, and contribute to local community development. Al-Hussein explained that the Federation has worked on organizing, structuring, and granting official licenses to a number of women's cooperatives, with the aim of transforming them into productive institutions capable of continuity and expansion.
Al-Hussein noted that these cooperatives face challenges, the most prominent of which are the lack of funding, equipment, and raw materials, as well as the need for vocational and administrative training and the development of packaging and marketing skills. He added that the Federation's plans focus on expanding women's cooperatives and developing existing ones, while enhancing partnerships with the Ministry of Agriculture, development organizations, donors, and the private sector to secure funding, equipment, and technical expertise.
Al-Hussein emphasized the importance of training women in processing, food safety, quality control, project management, accounting, and marketing. He stressed linking cooperatives to all stages of production, from securing raw materials to packaging, storage, transportation, and sales, thereby improving economic returns and enhancing the competitiveness of products. He pointed out the importance of developing successful models of women's cooperatives through funding, training, equipping, and marketing, then generalizing successful experiences and building a network of cooperatives that exchange expertise and cooperate in securing production supplies, developing products, and marketing them.
Al-Hussein stressed that rural women are a fundamental partner in nation-building, and their expertise in agriculture, food, and local resource management is a national wealth deserving of investment and development. He called on government bodies, development organizations, and the private sector to establish partnerships that provide funding, training, equipment, marketing, and decent job opportunities. The International Day for Rural Women aims to highlight women's contributions to agricultural production, food security, and development, while enhancing their economic and social participation opportunities and improving their living conditions.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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