| Resumen: |
There’s no debate about the importance of women
for rural economic growth and poverty reduction.
They fill many crucial roles, as farmers, wage
labourers and small-scale entrepreneurs, as well as caretakers of children and the elderly. Rural women have the potential to lift their households and communities out of poverty. But they are hampered by persistent gender inequities that limit their access to decent work, which they need as a vehicle for economic empowerment, social advancement and political participation.
Policymakers and researchers seeking to respond to this situation are hindered by gaps in data and analysis. To tap rural women’s potential contributions and channel investments appropriately requires an understanding of the complex and dynamic challenges women face. Without that knowledge it is impossible to analyse these fundamental issues or propose appropriate responses. This report is a contribution to that knowledge.
Rural women and men have long had very different work experiences, often to the detriment of women.
They lag behind men in access to land, credit, a
broad range of technologies, information, advisory
services and training. They are frequently shut out
of social capital, such as farmers organizations,
workers unions and community networks that can
enhance productivity and growth. Yet despite these
limitations and the enormous burden of unpaid
and mostly invisible work they provide at home
and in family businesses every day, women make
substantial contributions to feeding their families
and their nations.
Further complicating the response by policymakers are the variations in the inequities women face, which differ by country and are influenced by social, cultural and religious values and practices. |
