Women play an important role in rural economies but the challenges they face mean their full potential is missed.
Countryside Agency Archive

Breadcrumbs

Rural economies are missing an untapped resource – 9 July 2003

Women play an important role in rural economies but the challenges they face mean their full potential is missed – so both individuals and rural economies lose out on the full benefits of their talents and skills.

According to new Countryside Agency research, while women make up half of employees in rural areas, they face the problems of finding a suitable, flexible, family-friendly job they can get to easily and concludes that more needs to be done to meet these challenges.

According to the Countryside Agency’s report The role of women in the rural economy, the main issues women in rural areas face in their working lives are:

  • limited nature of job opportunities- makes it hard for women to obtain paid work locally, meaning many have to travel further to get to well paid, flexible jobs;
  • lack of accessible and appropriate childcare– in the areas researched 40% of women reported having regular difficulties finding the childcare they needed;
  • poor wages– rural wages are on average 12% lower than urban wages and rural employees have lower rates of paid holiday and sick leave;
  • dependence on private transport  - as public transport is usually not adequate or flexible enough, and bearing in mind that many have to travel further, most rely on private transport and carry that cost;
  • division of labour at home– although more and more women have jobs they are still doing the majority of the housework.

Speaking at the launch of ‘WiRE (Women in Rural Enterprise) in Yorkshire’ at the Great Yorkshire Show today (Wednesday 9 July), Countryside Agency director, Margaret Clark, said: “Women undoubtedly make a very significant contribution to rural economies, indeed they make up half of the rural labour force. They represent a huge untapped potential to contribute more, but they are often inhibited from doing so. Living in the countryside can make it very hard to find a suitable job, in terms of location, meeting a person’s skills and fitting around family arrangements, with a decent income.

“Our research shows the challenges facing women working in the countryside are diverse, complex to address and need particular attention. So we are pleased to be launching the WiRE in Yorkshire initiative today with partners WiRE, HSBC and Askham Bryan College to demonstrate some of the ways of meeting these challenges.        

“An increasing number of rural women are turning to self-employment as a way to earn a living – but often for very low incomes – and too often they are not receiving the kind of financial and business support they need and want. The WiRE in Yorkshire initiative will focus on working with women across the county, including those in disadvantaged rural communities, to help ensure business advisers become more aware of the issues rural women face and to deliver business support advice to them locally, tailored to their needs.   

“Our research has also helped identify a number of specific actions and we are now working with others to address the problems that women in the countryside face in their working lives and take action to alleviate these problems.”

The key actions needed include:

  • policy makers generally must look for ways to integrate better employment, training and service provision;
  • business support agencies must examine how they deliver advice locally and specifically target advice at women with little or no experience of running a business;
  • employers must think about the business benefits of introducing more flexible patterns of working, such as term-time working to give them a more stable workforce;
  • regional and local agencies must increase the provision of appropriate, accessible and affordable childcare;
  • employers could work with others, particularly local authorities, to explore opportunities to improve accessibility for their rural employees, especially those who work beyond daytime public transport operating hours.

The role of women in the rural economy  (ref. CA113) is available free from Countryside Agency Publications, PO Box 125, Wetherby, West Yorks LS23 7EP. Tel: 0870 102 6466.

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Notes to editors

For further information please contact the Countryside Agency press office on 020 7340 2909/7/6.

The Countryside Agency is the statutory body working to make the quality of life better for people in the countryside and the quality of the countryside better for everyone.