Diyana. Photography by SC Shekar
Oct 15: International Day of Rural Women
International Day of Rural Women is observed on October 15th every year, a day that brings to the forefront rural women’s important yet uncelebrated role in development – from being caregivers in families, guardians of indigenous knowledge, and workers in agriculture.

This International Day of Rural Women, we would like to share the stories of four Orang Asli (indigenous) women – Diyana, Sabiah, Norisah, and Surayati – to highlight the burden that these women carry and the sacrifices they make for the sake of their children and community. 
Photography by SC Shekar
“What can I do? I can only accept that this is my life,” shared Diyana. “My only hope is that my daughter can do well in her studies so she doesn’t have to live her life like mine.”
When Sabiah saw a photograph of herself that I took a few months ago, her face broke into a smile wider than the one she sported in it. She was seated on the ground weaving a traditional headdress. In the background stood a community hall that she helped build with the other women in the village. 
Norisah and her daughter, Surayati, moved away to live in a village where there’s no piped water nor electricity. What they really want is to farm – to grow enough food to feed their family, to make enough to survive, and to live in a peaceful community.
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