GENDER ASPECTS OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

The article analyzes the gender aspects of rural development, as well as the impact on rural economic development and growth. It has been found that gender inequality is particularly pronounced in Ukrainian villages, where every third woman in the country lives, ie over 7.5 million women. It has been found that women and girls in rural areas often suffer from multiple discrimination due to factors such as residence, age, disability, displacement, ethnicity, etc. In Ukraine, the problems of rural women have received insufficient attention, since in general studies, local women and rural women are often considered as one group of groups. However, women from big cities and rural areas face different problems, and rural residents - depending on gender - may have different priorities. Therefore, it is sometimes appropriate to note the so-called double (or even multiple) inequalities that certain groups of people may face. On average, rural households have a larger household size than urban ones. The number of household members in the villages is predominant, not at the expense of young children, but at the expense of the elderly. Rural areas lack favorable conditions for combining motherhood and professional growth: many preschools have closed in the last ten years, and work in rural areas is accompanied by a constant workload for women – they are practically not resting, not caring for their health. That is why gender policy in Ukraine, built on the principles of European democratic institutions, is emerging in a whole new, relevant light. And it requires the promotion of the value of gender equality both in society as a whole and in its various institutions, in particular. This is, first and foremost, the elimination of gender discrimination, ensuring equal participation of women and men in socially important decision-making (primarily through election to representative bodies and appointments to government positions), ensuring equal opportunities for women and men in combining professional and family responsibilities, gender, disability, and other gender-based violence. Adoption of state programs envisages educational work among the population on gender equality and security, overcoming social stereotypes. This defines a strategic approach to public policy making in the country and shapes nationwide approaches to identifying gender issues and ways to solve them.