From the typical rural housewife, who combines regular care for her family with other duties, to single parents and widows who shoulder family responsibilities, the challenges are enormous for rural women.

Thirty years into democracy, women still faces the menace of poverty and underdevelopment. There are myriad reasons for the persistence of poverty, including the historic triple burden borne by black women; low literacy; ineffective skills development education programmes; rampant corruption and poor service delivery in healthcare facilities. Rural women and youth face the utmost challenges daily.