Damascus, Oct. 15 (SANA) Syria’s Ministry of Agriculture is working to strengthen rural women’s economic and social empowerment through skills training, food-processing facilities and support for small businesses, aiming to improve household incomes, promote agricultural development and enhance food security.
Zaid Abu Assaf, director of agriculture in Damascus and its countryside, told SANA on Thursday, marking the International Day of Rural Women, that the ministry runs annual programs through its Rural Extension and Development Department to develop women’s cultural, scientific and practical skills. The programs include seminars, practical demonstrations and workshops, as well as support for productive projects and marketing their products.
Food processing and market access
Rural Damascus has five government-run food-processing units that provide facilities and equipment for production, Abu Assaf said. The units process locally sourced rural food products, helping create jobs for women and establish more sustainable sources of income.
The ministry also supports free exhibitions and bazaars and provides sales outlets in Damascus and its countryside. These initiatives help rural women promote their products, reach new customers and sell directly to consumers.
Training and economic challenges
Abu Assaf said greater involvement by local and international organizations was needed to expand access to training, financing and skills development. Workshops and income-generating programs, alongside field visits, help women develop their businesses and identify the social, economic and environmental challenges they face.
Poverty, unemployment and rising agricultural input costs, including fuel, fertilizers, pesticides and seeds, remain major obstacles to rural women’s economic activity, he said.
Plans include opening additional food-processing units, organizing specialized exhibitions and bazaars, and establishing more outlets to market rural women’s products.
Addressing rural women, Abu Assaf challenged the traditional saying that “a woman’s place is in the home,” offering instead the phrase “the home’s place is with the woman.” He said the expression reflected women’s central role in families and communities, adding that empowering them was not only an economic and social priority but also recognition of their role and status.
Women’s cooperatives and business development
Bassem al-Hussein, public relations director at the General Union of Peasants, told SANA that women’s cooperatives help strengthen rural women’s economic and social participation by shifting production from individual activities with limited returns to organized enterprises. This can help women build skills, increase incomes and contribute to local development, he said.
The union has worked to organize women’s cooperatives, formalize their operations and secure official licenses, with the aim of establishing sustainable businesses capable of expanding.
Activities across several Syrian governorates include food processing, dairy and cheese production, beekeeping, animal husbandry, cleaning-product manufacturing and oil extraction, alongside other enterprises built around local resources and expertise.
However, the cooperatives face shortages of financing, equipment and raw materials. They also need vocational and administrative training and stronger skills in packaging and marketing, al-Hussein said.
He said the union’s plans focus on expanding existing cooperatives, improving their operations and strengthening partnerships with the Ministry of Agriculture, development organizations, donors and the private sector to secure funding, equipment and technical expertise.
Strengthening skills and the production chain
Al-Hussein stressed the need for training in food processing, food safety, quality control, business management, accounting and marketing. He said cooperatives needed support throughout the production chain, from sourcing raw materials to packaging, storage, transportation and sales, to improve returns and make products more competitive.
He also called for successful cooperative models to be developed through financing, training, equipment and marketing support, then expanded through networks that allow cooperatives to exchange expertise, obtain production inputs and work together to develop and market their products.
Rural women as partners in development
Al-Hussein described rural women as essential partners in building Syria, saying their expertise in agriculture, food production and local resource management was a national asset that deserved investment.
He called on government institutions, development organizations and the private sector to establish partnerships that provide financing, training, equipment, marketing support and decent employment opportunities.
Observed annually on Oct. 15, the International Day of Rural Women recognizes women’s contributions to agricultural production, food security and development, while highlighting the importance of expanding their economic and social participation and improving their living conditions.
R.H/M.F
