October is proving to be one of the best months so far in 2021. The year itself has witnessed women climbing the heights of the corporate world, dazzling all and sundry with their brilliance and leaving behind all the manacles of traditional society.

Thanks to non-profit organisations like Better Life Program for the African Rural Woman (BLPARW), this trend has begun to include women who have not had the privilege of quality formal education and training. These are the women looking forward to October 15, 2021, for the International Day of Rural Women.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that Hajia Aisha Babangida has done a great deal to liberate Nigerian women from a mediocre mindset. The empowerment that has come from the dream of her mother, Maryam Babangida, has shone a light into the dark places of the nation’s efforts for genuine and inclusive sustainable development. This is just what BLPARW is doing at the moment and what October 15 will entail.

Ordinarily, Babangida’s BLPARW educates and empowers African women and youths through courses, programs and microfinancing to build cottage industries and in turn the country’s economy. This year, however, the observance of the International Day of Rural Women (which pays homage to prominent women in food production and agricultural and rural development worldwide) will involve a fifteen-minute film in honour of Nigerian rural women. The film is titled ‘Her Majesty’ and has been reported to recount the life, struggles, and impacts of these women.

Hajia Aisha Babangida

BLPARW was founded way back in 1987 and has since witnessed the development and utilisation of the potentials of rural women, which is the core objective of the organisation. Even now, as Babangida and her team are preparing for the International Day of Rural Women, they also have big plans to provide rural women with educational, technical and financial support.

Thus, October 15 will not only be a wonderful day in the minds of successful female farmers worldwide but also struggling Nigerian rural women.