The world observes the International Day of Rural Women every year on October 15 to honour the vital roles played by the women who constitute rural communities. On this day, we recognize the women of quiet strength, resistance, and service who support families, cultivate the land, and carry traditions even in difficult circumstances. This year’s theme, "Rural Women Sustaining Nature for Our Collective Future: Building climate resilience, conserving biodiversity, and caring for land towards gender equality and empowerment of women and girls," gracefully reflects the essence of this event. It highlights how rural women everywhere, through their daily efforts and experiences, strengthen the bond between humanity and nature.

In the nomadic Gujjar-Bakarwal groups, women are responsible for sustaining both livelihood and culture. They migrate seasonally through the Pir Panjal and other mountain ranges, grazing animals through rugged landscapes in pursuit of new grazing grounds. Women manage the household on the move, help in herding, milk cows, and prepare dairy products. They have long and risky journeys as they cross forests and mountains, where they risk encountering wild animals or meeting accidents. Such women accompany men during migration, carrying children bound to their backs while having to perform household chores, take care of animals, and handle family obligations at the same time. A great example is that of Akhtar Jan, a young Gujjar woman from Shopian, who delivered in a snowstorm and was taken on horseback through deep snow to the nearest hospital. Her bravery exemplifies the determination and resilience that characterizes thousands of such women throughout Jammu and Kashmir.
Identifying the troubles of these nomadic women, the Indian Army, keeping its motto "With the People, For the People," has been a benevolent force for the rural and tribal masses. Recently, in Sedhau Shopian, the Army greeted Gujjar-Bakarwal families back from summer grazing by offering medical aid, refreshments, and welfare assistance. These acts of kindness serve not only to maintain their health and dignity but also to reinforce confidence-building measures between the armed forces and locals. These small acts mean a great deal and reflect the greater message of solidarity and inclusion that the International Day of Rural Women sends across the world.
The Pahari women of Jammu and Kashmir are yet another aspect of rural resilience. From hilly villages sometimes distant from urban infrastructure, they till land, cultivate crops, spin wool, and make exquisite handicrafts that preserve their cultural heritage. A motivational example is Shahida, a young Pahari-Gujjar entrepreneur who commercialized her stitching work into a livelihood activity. She operates a stitching and training centre that offers tailoring and embroidery training to women from the local area, enabling them to become economically independent. The vocational training centers of the Indian Army along the borders in Poonch, Kupwara and Uri have played a crucial role in empowering such initiatives, creating leadership and empowerment among rural women.
Life for women along the Line of Control is uncertain and risky, yet their spirits are not dented. They still cultivate their fields, educate their children, and feed their families even in hard times. Adeeba Begum from Uri is another example of perseverance tilling her land in the face of risks of cross-border firing and making sure that her children keep studying. The Indian Army's assistance in these areas, in the form of sanitary pad units and health drives, has brought it all into the lives of these women: the opportunity for financial independence, improved personal hygiene, and increased self-confidence. Their perseverance perfectly aligns with this year’s theme, which calls for gender equality through the empowerment of women who sustain both nature and communities.
Access to education opens new paths for leadership, employment, and independence. Rehana Bashir, the first female IAS officer from the Gujjar community in Poonch, has become a symbol of inspiration for countless girls in remote areas. Her achievement demonstrates that if women are provided with an opportunity to learn, they can break centuries of obstacles. Goodwill Schools and Education Centres established and run by the army have played a significant role in imparting quality education to rural and border children, allowing the girls to access learning opportunities that enable them to drive change in their communities.
The women of Jammu & Kashmir are not only earning the livelihoods of households but also keeping the planet safe. Through their organic farming, sustainable way of living, and traditional cattle rearing, they are ensuring resilience to climate change and conserving biodiversity. By adopting eco-friendly means and conserving natural resources, they are the personification of this year's theme, sustaining nature for our collective future. Moreover, by preserving folk crafts, songs, and traditions, they ensure that the cultural heritage of Jammu and Kashmir remains alive as well as modernization. With increasing help from the Indian Army, NGOs, and governmental programmes, these women are integrating old wisdom with new techniques, switching to solar energy, organic farming, and conservation practices in forests that will both protect livelihoods as well as the environment.
On this International Day of Rural Women, we extend our sincere appreciation to the Gujjar-Bakarwal, Pahari, and border women of Jammu and Kashmir, whose unpaid sacrifices from the unseen pillars of peace, development, and sustainability. Their resilience in challenge, devotion to family and society, and contribution to the preservation of nature and heritage inspire fully the message that when women are empowered, whole societies prosper. With continuous support from the Army, government institutions, and local community programs, these women keep emerging with dignity, confidence, and hope.
The women of rural Jammu and Kashmir are not only sustaining their families but also carving out a more sustainable and hopeful future from herding flocks on the high pastures of Pir Panjal to leading from classrooms to businesses in remote villages. Their lives serve as an example that empowerment must begin on the ground in the hands of women who have nurtured the earth, preserved traditions, and led their communities in pursuit of peace and prosperity.

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