Perspectives of women in rural areas

Baseline study of the status and livelihoods of women in rural areas & recommendations for gender responsive policy responses. The present study is intended to provide a comprehensive assessment of the status of women in rural areas in the country as compared with the status of their male counterparts in rural areas and with the population of both men and women in urban areas, thus providing a baseline with which to design concrete measures leading to the empowerment of women in rural areas. The study provides an analysis of existing legislative and policy frameworks and explores the extent of the social exclusion of women in rural areas, including their exclusion from the labour market, from local public and social life, and from participation in local decisionmaking processes. In addition to voicing the needs and challenges of women in rural areas and highlighting the gaps that need to be addressed to improve their status, the study identifi es the available opportunities to challenge the barriers these women face.