RURAL WOMEN IN SOUTH ASIA

The book highlights the commonalties and differences in rural women’s experiences across the countries and communities of the South Asian region. It argues that the low status and weak empowerment of rural women is on account of the structural conditions of poverty and inequality in the region, the social and cultural shaping of gender ideologies, and the multiple patriarchies and caste and class dominance through which poor women experience power relations. However, a sense of optimism pervades as country experiences reflect the renewed concerns and commitments about rural women’s empowerment in both state policy and the significant snowballing of social activism in the region. The essays in the book reiterates the importance of poverty alleviation, providing decent work opportunities, investing in education and health, involving women in decision making and governance such that their substantive empowerment could be fostered by enhancing their capabilities, entitlements and choices.

Jaya Arunachalam is Founder and President of Working Women’s Forum (India). A leading activist and development professional, she has been a spokesperson for poor women and her grassroots mobilisation efforts has spearheaded a movement of poor women using micro credit intervention. She is the recipient of numerous national and international awards. She has recently published “Women’s Equality” (2005).

U. Kalpagam, an economist and an anthropologist, is professor at the G.B. Pant Social Science Institute, Allahabad. She has published extensively on Gender and Development issues among others, including, “Labour and Gender: Survival in Urban India” (1994).