Needs of rural women [Archives:2005/899/Business & Economy]

Mahyoub Al-Kamaly
A study conducted by the Agricultural Research Station in the governorate of Abyan, has concluded that the Yemeni rural woman is an active partner in development. She generally caries out all works in farms such as harvesting, storing and drying crops as well as raising and feeding animals.

The study that included 26 families in 22 villages in governorates of Abyan, Lahj and Dhalie, aimed basically to gather data and statements on the countryside woman working in agriculture. The study focused on the Yemeni rural woman needs and role in agricultural development, confirming that, in some villages, the woman performs also the process of irrigation when there are torrents to save soil from being swept away. These are very hard tasks usually done by men.

The study, conducted during the agricultural season of 2004-2005, also made it clear that that around 62% of families included in the study owned agricultural lands and 15% of them the woman is the owner of the land. It pointed out that some families possessing agricultural lands lease them to those who do not own lands or to those whose property is a small land. The return of renting the land could be an annual amount of money or in a share of crops.

The study also touched on role of essential services that have been introduced to those villages and that some development projects give training to women on sewing and weaving as well as training young men on maintaining water pumps and veterinary. Those training courses have helped in improvement of rural women conditions.
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