Socio-demographic and economic indicators in gender structure in the middle Taurus mountainous villages of Turkey

ABSTRACT: Socio-demographic and economic indicators are very important clues to scientists and institutions to direct development programs for the empowerment of rural women. The goal of this study is to determine the status of rural women living in the Taurus mountainous villages of Turkey according to socio-demographic and economic indicators as related to gender structure. In this research area, there is not enough official data related to socio-demographic and economic indicators about mountainous rural women, like in most developing countries. For this study, the authors collected data from 146 women and 133 men using questionnaires and face-to-face interviews. In this research area, we found that women occupy positions of low power compared to men when taking socio-demographic and economic indicators into account. Women tend to define themselves as housewives instead of farmers, and their tendency to migrate to cities were higher than men’s.