Socio-Economic Empowerment of Women in Rural Areas: Part I
Language: English
Women play a key role in the well-being of families and communities, and more generally in promoting the rural and agricultural economy. Several international organisations believe that the development of rural women requires their social and economic empowerment. Autonomy refers to women's access to economic activities (jobs and income) to meet their needs and those of their dependents. More generally, autonomy enables people not only to make economic choices but also to influence the social and economic structures of society. The notion of autonomy is therefore closely associated with the notion of power. However, rural women in many developing countries still have limited access to the resources, fundamental rights, health, education and paid work that are key to empowerment. Rural women's access to resources and power requires them to free themselves from certain social constraints that confine their role to the private and domestic sphere, in order to conquer the public arena and establish themselves as acknowledged active members of society.
This session looks at the ways in which rural women have been able to influence the patriarchal relationships that limit their freedom, and improve their access to resources and their social and economic status in order to be able to move according to their aspirations space within the economic, social and political spheres.