The Rural Women and Children Festival 2025 was organized in Rahim Yar Khan with support from the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA). Commemorating International Rural Women’s Day, the festival highlighted the essential contributions of rural women to agriculture, household livelihoods, community development, and food systems.
The event provided a platform to examine the rights of women agricultural workers, including provisions of the Punjab Labour Code 2024, which formally recognizes women in this sector. Speakers emphasized structural challenges such as unpaid labour, limited access to education, healthcare, and financial resources, and persistent exclusion from policy forums. Deliberations also addressed the need for equitable wages, social protection, and participation in decision-making processes.
Children’s Day activities were integrated into the festival, offering interactive and creative opportunities for children to engage in learning and skill-building exercises.