The role of women in rural tourism: a study in the Planaltina's Rajadinha circuit - Federal Districts

Abstract This study aims to investigate the reality of women working in rural tourism in the region of Planaltina, Federal District (FD). It contributes, therefore, to the discussion of gender and tourism in the context of rural tourism. This, while sub-modality of Tourism in Rural Areas (TRA), is a segment of the countryside and includes the range of non-agricultural activities that have been developed in the rural areas in recent years as a strategy for maintenance and survival. Simultaneous with these functional changes of the rural space, new forms of organization of family life are observed, in which the proximity between the tasks performed in the domestic environment and rural tourism activities contributes to the redefinition of roles and gender division of labor. Thus, this study was carried out in the Rajadinha Circuit, a project created in 2014 in the region of Planaltina, FD. Of the 10 properties that make up the Circuit, eight participated in the study and 10 women were surveyed. This work is characterized as a qualitative case study. A semi-structured interview script was applied to understand the reality of women who work directly in the development of rural tourism in the Circuit. The results suggest that the rural tourism activities promoted a positive relationship between women and men involved. We observed that in the Circuit female labor is not just a supplementary activity, it is a key element for maintaining rural tourism on the farms studied and takes the leading role in this rural context.