Rural Women Face Greater Poverty, Discrimination

Tehran, Oct 8, IRNA - Women outnumber men in villages, which could make them more prone to poverty and discrimination, said Vice President for Women and Family Affairs Shahindokht Molaverdi. Molaverdi, who had attended the Village Conference in Tehran, said women’s condition is an indicator of national development. “No development would be sustainable without women’s participation,” she said. Molaverdi noted that women face a higher risk of suffering from poverty, discrimination and deprivation, because they lack tangible incomes in villages despite involvement in economic activities. As an example of discrimination facing rural women, Molaverdi cited the result of a national census about literacy rate. “The result of a census held three years ago showed a 15- percent gap between rural and urban women with regard to education,” she said, adding that a lack of fund poses a big challenge in this regard. “The fund used to empower rural women was removed seven years ago. Rural women’s role in improving the country has been neglected.” Molaverdi called for the allocation of budget to rural women to empower them./end