Examination of Ways for Greater Participation of Rural Women in Rural Development

Women comprise almost half of the rural population, and more than half of rural socio-economic activities rely on their efforts, but before 1970 it was assumed that the process of development affected men and women equally, because at the time the amount of production was in balance with the cash economy; consequently much of the work by women was ignored. When it became clear that economic development does not automatically eradicate poverty through the effects of "penetrating down", the issue of equal distribution of benefits between men and women has become of major importance in developmental theories, and the topic of human force development and related issues have been raised. The members of rural communities in general and rural women in particular are undiscovered treasures that have always suffered cultural deprivation due to lack of access to cultural resources and in particular the educational facilities. As a result, they have never been able to fully utilize their innate abilities and talents and have always faced inattention by the authorities and others in the process of development. A look at the situation of rural women in Iran and the extent of participation of women in developmental planning will make this matter clearer.