As part of World Rural Women's Day (15 Oct.), the Collective of Organizations for the Defense of Migrants and Repatriated Rights (CODDEMIR) welcomes the efforts of national and international organizations working for the promotion of human rights women in Haiti, while regretting that despite the efforts made, rural women are neglected in this struggle.

COODEMIR calls for the fight for women's empowerment to be inclusive. The Haitian Collective recalls that Haiti being an underdeveloped country, the majority of its population does not have access to basic services. The living conditions of these women are even worse, affected by poverty and exclusion, yet they remain the pillar of Haitian families.

These women, young and old, spend most of their day dealing with domestic chores and their families, so they do not even have the time to educate themselves, which in the future will create more more inequalities.

In remote areas of the country, they have to travel several kilometers to collect water. When they give birth, the risk of death remains high because of the inaccessibility of medical care. The absence of hygienic conditions (drinking water, hygienic toilets) puts these women at great risk (infectious diseases).

The Collective asks the Government to set up structures capable of providing education, medical care and economic independence for these women. It also invites women's rights organizations and the Ministry for the Status of Women to continue to work for their effective empowerment.

HL/ HaitiLibre