The Jamaican Network of Rural Women Producers is moving to promote meaningful dialogue it hopes will go a far way in dismantling long-standing institutionalised biases which have been instrumental in keeping women, especially in rural Jamaica, firmly rooted at the foot of the economic ladder.

President Mildred Crawford told The Gleaner that in observance of International Day of Rural Women tomorrow, the local body has organised four events from October 20-28, to raise public awareness about how the deck is stacked against women in Jamaica.

In citing statistics to support this claim, Crawford pointed out that women involved in agriculture receive a measly one per cent of all agricultural credit and own only two per cent of all titled land. In addition, they have received only five per cent of all agricultural extension services, while accounting for 30 per cent of the farmers registered with the Rural Agricultural Development Authority. Despite this gross imbalance in resource allocation, according to Crawford, single women are heads of the 40 per cent of all rural households.