Women in Agriculture

Lesson 18 : Status Of Women In Rural Families

Measures to improve the social and economic status of rural women

• Transforming the prevailing social discrimination against women must become the top priority, and must happen concurrently with increased direct action to rapidly improve the social and economic status of women.
• As women receive greater education and training, they will earn more money.
  As women earn more money - as has been repeatedly shown - they spend it in the further education and health of their children, as opposed to men, who often spend it on drink, tobacco or other women.
• As women rise in economic status, they will gain greater social standing in the household and the village, and will have greater voice.
• As women gain influence and consciousness, they will make stronger claims to their entitlements - gaining further training, better access to credit and higher incomes - and command attention of police and courts when attacked.
• As women's economic power grows, it will be easier to overcome the tradition of "son preference" and thus put an end to the evil of dowry.
• As son preference declines and acceptance of violence declines, families will be more likely to educate their daughters, and age of marriage will rise. In this way, a synergy of progress can be achieved.