A Qualitative Study to Explore the Socioeconomic Status of Women Working in Livestock Production

Purpose: Rural women comprise of one quarter of the total world population, and they are considered key agents for achieving the transformational economic, environmental and social changes required for sustainable development. The purpose of this study is to assess the socioeconomic status of women working in livestock activities and to find out the impact of this work on their lives Design/Methodology/Approach: Data was collected from three different villages of District Rahim Yar Khan Punjab Province, Pakistan. In-depth interviews were conducted from a selected group of ten rural women, which were further divided into two groups based on age. Findings: The thematic analysis revealed the deprived socioeconomic status and vulnerabilities reported by women working in this sector in rural areas. Although financial benefits are reported as a positive impact, health risks, work and gender related issues surfaced the negative impact of this work on their lives. Implications/Originality/Value: The findings indicate the need of women friendly policies and development projects to facilitate women’s work in the livestock sector to improve their socioeconomic conditions and well-bein