A 2017 report released by the Australian Human Rights Commission showed that women in rural and regional areas are far more likely to experience disadvantage and discrimination in the workplace, and more broadly in society, than women who are located in urban areas nearer to big cities. Access to good education is harder to come by in rural areas compared to urban areas in general. Add the fact that there is still gender discrimination all around us, it is no surprise that it is harder for women in rural areas to thrive as well as women in urban areas. In inspiring change, the rural areas matter the most.

But what is the role of rural women in driving change in their communities?

The role of any woman in driving change, is instigating that change. Identifying an area where they feel disadvantaged and deciding to change it. It’s the ripple effect, where change can’t happen without someone first identifying a need for change and deciding to act upon it. In rural areas, that change is needed more and, therefore, it is more important that it be identified and acted upon. In rural areas, the decision to act upon disadvantages may seem daunting or like a difficult task, but that is where support systems come in.

Support systems are important when trying to bring about change, as it gives people someone to rely on or that they are able to call upon for assistance if needed. Most rural communities are quite tight-knit where everybody knows everybody. Finding someone who has similar advocacy ideas and passions is not going to be all too hard. Women also have this uncanny ability to bond with each other and form lasting friendships. There is a science behind this relating to the release of oxytocin and serotonin in the female brain, but that is not something to get too in depth about here. In short, finding a supportive female group does not sound too difficult a feat for those women who wish to drive change in their community.

For example, I am going to look at my hometown of Albany. Though we are more regional than rural, we still have societal aspects which we wish to inspire change for. The Albany Youth Advisory Council, an action group concerned with the advocacy of youth issues in the community, is predominantly made up of female-identifying youth. We are all like-minded people who wish to make Albany a more inclusive place for youth, and through this we have been able to bond and form close friendships.

In short, the current role of rural women in driving change in their community is instigating and planning for that change. There’s only so far that we are able to get on our own before we need help from others, whether it be grants for funding these ideas or seeking out other opinions. All it takes is one person noticing that something needs to change, before that change starts to occur.

2018, WOMEN IN RURAL AREAS FACE MORE DISADVANTAGE THAN THEIR BIG-CITY COUNTERPARTS, Women & Leadership Australia, viewed 22/07/2021, https://www.wla.edu.au/rural-leadership-forums.html