ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book analyzes the women's components of two large-scale integrated rural development projects in Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. It argues that the major Mexican state initiative with respect to rural women has been support for women's income-generating projects on the ejidos. Although women have responded enthusiastically to these projects, they generally have not been economically viable. The book shows that the increased participation of women in the agricultural wage labor force has been accompanied by the organization of women agricultural workers. It analyzes how machismo and women's responsibility for the reproductive realm continue to be factors limiting women's full participation in production. The book focuses on the two major industrialized countries of Latin America, Brazil and Mexico. It draws on women's experience in the Latin American agrarian reforms.
