Bhubaneswar, 15th October, 2025 : Every morning, before the first ray of sunlight touches the green paddy fields of my village, I see her — my mother, sari tucked in, hands busy, heart steady. She is one of millions of rural women across India whose strength quietly sustains our land, our food, and our families.
Today, on International Day of Rural Women, I pause to honour her — and every woman like her — who works tirelessly from dawn to dusk, often without recognition.
She doesn’t wear a cape, but she’s a hero. She plants seeds with hope, draws water with patience, and feeds everyone before she eats herself. She doesn’t talk about empowerment — she lives it every day, in every choice she makes to keep her family’s future alive.
I remember how, during the toughest monsoons, she managed the field when my father was unwell. Her hands, calloused and cracked, never stopped working. She told me once, “If the land gives us life, we must care for it like a mother.”
This year’s theme, “Rural Women Cultivating Good Food for All,” couldn’t be truer. In every grain we eat and every sapling that grows, there’s a story of a woman’s care and sacrifice.
From Odisha’s self-help groups in Kalahandi to farmers in Mayurbhanj, women are rewriting what rural strength looks like. They are no longer silent workers — they are entrepreneurs, leaders, and changemakers who carry their villages forward.
As I write this, my mother sits by the field, her face lit by the soft glow of the setting sun. The world may celebrate her one day a year — but to me, she is the heartbeat of every single day.
Here’s to the village women — the real cultivators of hope. 🌿
