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A Study of Women's Roles in Rural Livelihood Improvement: A Case Study of Yamaguchi Prefecture in Japan
In Japan the rural livelihood improvement program was started in 1949 in response to the enactment of the Agricultural Improvement Promotion Law of 1948, by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The program was introduced in order to create self-reliant famers, particularly women famers. Livelihood extension workers (all women) were hired as prefectural government officers to encourage rural development.
They made up groups of women to encourage extension activities. The groups carried out intensive rural life improvement activities.
There were three phases of rural life improvement as follows. The first phase, from 1948 to 1965 aimed to alleviate poverty in rural areas. The second phase, from 1965 to 1988 focused on the betterment of daily life in times of rapid economic growth. The third phase, from 1989 to present day, created employment opportunities through grass root activities.
As a result, the women’s self-confidence improved and they became self-reliant famers. The prefecture employees were the driving force behind this progression.
The program was officially ended because of an amendment to the Agricultural Improvement Promotion Law in 2004. However rural life improvement has continued at grass roots level by the women, who still work in the farming communities.
Now women in the older generations carry on creating employment opportunities through agriculture business and tourism so that younger generations can live in rural areas in the future. What’s more, they maintain close relations with retired prefectural workers who helped them in the past.
This study focuses on this development model, as a positive strategy which could be implemented in other rural areas.