Active Participation of Rural Women in Developmental Issues: Poverty Alleviation Lessons for South Africa

Abstract

This article focuses on the centrality of active participation of rural women in issues of their development. The paper departs from the premise that  women need to be empowered and adopts the stand point that women need to empower themselves. It is through their active participation that women  are in a better position to come up with sustainable projects that will help alleviate poverty. Firstly, the paper examines the concept of participation as  espoused in South Africa’s policy documents and those that she is signatory to, proceeds to assess the place of participation in rural development and  lastly studies the way the South African government through its municipalities has handled participatory processes in the communities in an effort to  combat poverty. Results indicate that there are challenges in the way government engages communities in issues of their development. The article  proffers recommendations that are likely to increase rural women’s visibility in developmental processes.