ABSTRACT
Despite a lack of widespread or particularly detailed data, research has succeeded in drawing attention to the scarcity of job opportunities for women within the rural labour market (see, for example, Rural Development Commission 1991; Little 1994; Townsend 1991). Academics and policy-makers alike have construed this scarcity as ‘a problem’ given a societal context in which women are making an increasingly important contribution to the labour market. The lack of employment opportunities is seen as particularly problematic for certain groups in the rural community; for example, working-class women, single mothers and young women. Where paid work does exist for women locally, it is argued, that work tends to be poorly paid, unskilled, part-time or temporary. Moreover, the ability of women to take up those opportunities that do exist is frequently hampered by other structural problems such as low levels of public transport and childcare facilities.
