The United Nations has been observing the International Day of Rural Women on which date each year?

Introduction / Context:
The International Day of Rural Women is observed by the United Nations to recognize the critical role and contributions of rural women, including indigenous women, in enhancing agricultural and rural development, improving food security and eradicating rural poverty. This day is celebrated each year on 15th October. Many exams test this date along with other UN observances related to women, agriculture and development.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The observance is the International Day of Rural Women.
- It is explicitly said to be observed by the United Nations.
- The options list the 15th of various months and the separate women related date of 8th March as distractors.

Concept / Approach:
The core idea is to connect rural women and agriculture with 15th October. One helpful approach is to note that this day falls just before World Food Day on 16 October, creating a sequence that emphasizes both producers and food security. Remembering this back to back arrangement in mid October helps you situate 15th October correctly as the day for rural women.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Read the phrase “International Day of Rural Women” and identify its focus on women in rural and agricultural settings. Step 2: Recall that the United Nations observes this day every year on 15th October. Step 3: Look at the answer choices and locate “15th October.” Step 4: Compare this with 8th March, which you may know is International Women's Day, not specifically focused on rural women. Step 5: Select 15th October as the correct answer because it uniquely matches the rural women observance linked with UN and FAO themes.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, remember that 16 October is World Food Day, emphasizing global food security and agricultural systems. The International Day of Rural Women is placed just one day earlier, on 15th October, to highlight the role of rural women in making food systems sustainable. Since none of the other dates in the options align with this coordinated mid October schedule, 15th October stands out as the correct choice.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
15th July: Not designated as the International Day of Rural Women and may be associated with other events or none in the exam syllabus.
15th August: Celebrated as Independence Day in India and linked with national freedom, not specifically with rural women at a global level.
15th September: Used for different observances in some contexts but not officially for rural women in the UN calendar.
8th March: Recognized as International Women's Day, focusing on women's rights and achievements broadly rather than rural women in particular.

Common Pitfalls:
A frequent mistake is to choose 8th March because it is a well known women related date, ignoring the specific mention of “rural” in the question. Another pitfall is to assume that any 15th of a month might be correct without recalling the food security link with World Food Day on 16 October. To avoid these issues, deliberately connect “rural women” with “15 October, just before food day” in your memory map of important UN observances.

Final Answer:
Correct option: 15th October