Social Exclusion of Women in Poor Rural Areas of Iran: The Case of Malard Villages in Shahryar, Tehran Province

Using a set of social exclusion indicators, this article analyzes the various dimensions of social exclusion of women in Iran’s poor rural areas. Research for this article was conducted in the Malard villages of Shahryar (Tehran Province), using qualitative and quantitative methodologies. A sample of 169 persons was drawn for the quantitative part of the research while the qualitative part comprised in-depth interviews with 51 women. Four aspects of exclusion were probed – support networks, social relations, social participation and social stigma. Research results indicate that social exclusion experienced by rural women is rooted in their historical and cumulative deprivation, their backgrounds and personal characteristics, village kinship structures, chronic and cross-generational poverty, and particular life events. There are also a host of cultural and social factors that currently prevent many women from overcoming poverty and exclusion.