A youth forum, titled ‘Rural Girls Rock,’ will be held on Tuesday, October 17, at Glistening Waters in Falmouth, Trelawny.

The event is part of a series of activities in observance of International Day of Rural Women (IDRW) under the theme: ‘Rural Women Cultivating Good Food for All.’

IDRW is celebrated on October 15 each year to give voice to the struggles and achievements of rural women.

Spearheading the activities is the Bureau of Gender Affairs (BGA) in the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, in partnership with the Jamaica Network of Rural Women Producers (JNRWP).

The BGA, in a statement, said that the forum is intended to empower young rural girls by providing encouragement, building their confidence, and highlighting their hard work and achievements towards community and national development.

The event will feature empowerment talks and the presentation of creative pieces to a team of judges, followed by the Rural Girls Rock Awards, where prizes will be presented for first, second and third place.

The IDRW celebrations will continue with a Women’s Empowerment Forum on Friday, October 20, at the Moneague College in St Ann.

The event aims to empower rural women, by furnishing them with “the financial knowledge and practical skills to further their businesses, families and communities,” the BGA said.

Attendees will be educated on sustainable agriculture, goal setting and planning for rural and sustainable development, in line with this year’s theme.

There will be an ‘AgriTalk’ with key stakeholders in the areas of financing, climate smart agriculture, marketing, tourism and agriculture, and waste management in agriculture. There will also be a farm tour of Moneague College.

The final activity will be a Farmers’ Market on Friday, October 27 at the Public Broadcasting Corporation of Jamaica (PBCJ) parking lot in St Andrew.

-JIS