Gender and rural transformation: A systematic literature review

Rural transformation can improve poverty levels, standards of living, and health outcomes in developing countries. However, impacts associated with rural transformation vary by region, household, and individual traits, including gender. While research on rural transformation has been increasing over the last decade, there has been no comprehensive review conducted on the relationships between gender and rural transformation. Here, we conduct a systematic literature review to investigate the impacts of rural transformation on gender, and the influence of gender inclusiveness on rural transformation. We review 82 studies from 1960-2021 that explored relationships between rural transformation and gender, and develop a framework that captures incidences and directions of flow between and across different indicators. We find that most studies examined the impacts of rural transformation on women and between gender indicators. Few investigated the role of women and the influence of gender-inclusiveness on rural transformation. Overall, studies showed that rural transformation typically leads to positive outcomes for women in terms of employment, income, and empowerment. However, negative impacts on women's control over income, stability of new income sources, and access to healthy food were also common. Tailoring future development policies and programs to explicitly account for gender inclusiveness can lead to more successful rural transformation.