Inequality on the rural-urban axis: women in rural areas

Abstract

Women in rural areas face numerous economic and social barriers, primarily due to unequal access to public services, and limited educational and employment opportunities. Moreover, there is insufficient statistical data to adequately monitor gender equality indicators in rural and urban areas, leading to the economic and social invisibility of (rural) women. The aim of this article is to examine the inequalities between women and men in urban and rural areas in terms of basic socio-economic indicators, education, and employment. In order to contribute to the importance of gender-specific data and analysis, a secondary analysis of data from the Croatian Bureau of Statistics’ [CBS] database regarding several indicators important for monitoring gender equality has been conducted. The data shows that there are inequalities between rural and urban areas and between the genders. In urban areas, significantly more women obtain a university degree than in rural areas, the employment rate of women in rural areas is many times lower than in urban areas, and the availability of certain public services, such as pre-school education (kindergarten), is still significantly lower despite positive changes in rural areas.