Empowerment of Rural Women: A Comprehensive Look into Everyday Agency and Socio-Economic Constraints in India

Abstract

This study examines the everyday activities and structural conditions that shape the socio-economic empowerment of rural women in India. Rural women contribute substantially to agricultural production, household welfare, and community stability, yet they often face severe barriers such as limited access to education, healthcare, financial resources, and formal decision-making spaces. Based on primary data collected through a semi-structured interview schedule from a proportionate random sample of 120 rural women in the Gosainganj block of Lucknow district, Uttar Pradesh, this study explores how social norms, institutional constraints, and resource availability affect their agency. The findings reveal that while women shoulder multiple roles in farming, care work, and community life, their empowerment is significantly constrained by gender-biased control over assets, income, and mobility. Access to land, institutional credit, training, and supportive social networks emerges as a key determinant of economic independence and self-confidence. Initiatives such as vocational training, Self-Help Groups (SHGs), and microfinance schemes are found to improve skills, bargaining power, and participation in collective action. However, deep-rooted patriarchal norms, weak implementation of legal rights, and persistent socio-economic inequalities continue to limit transformative change. The study highlights the pressing need for integrated policies that combine education, health, social protection, and economic support to strengthen rural women’s capabilities. It calls for targeted interventions that centre rural women as active stakeholders in development planning and implementation.