Women's Economic Participation in Rural Development

This study focused to analysis of women’s economic participation, with special focus on women’s changing gender roles in the context of rural development. Due to women’s labor force participation, their reproductive role have changed, and giving the productive role a significant place. Hence, their participation in rural development has increased and has taken a significant place in development programs and policy discourses all over the world. Women’s labor force participation has created dynamics in the rural sector. The objectives of this study are to examine effects of women’s changing role on rural development, to identify women’s changing roles in the households and in the economic sphere, to study the socio-economic and cultural hindrance to female participation in economic affairs, to identify how far women’s paid and unpaid labor is important to the rural community and to recognize how women have responded to poverty conditions in the rural sector. The study found that, the changing positions of women from reproductive to productive activities have offered significant changes in rural areas. Hence, women are seen to perform a significant role in their family economy. It is possible to state that the economic well-being of the family is founded by women. They were employed in wage work, enterprises, government and private sectors and in agriculture, and had received good status and power due to economic strength. The majority of such women were found in the private sector, while others workers in the government sector or worked as self-employees and wage earners. Although they were engaged in different types of jobs, many limitations existed. Despite these limitations, those who were economically active had reached a good level of satisfaction in their lives. Although the women had received economic strength, men still continued to receive household leadership and ownership of assets. However, women played an important role in rural development, though employed or not. Yet, there is a need to develop technological and educational opportunities as well as infrastructure in order to uplift their economic contribution.