The report, The role of women in the rural economy, published last week, looked at three areas in rural England - north Cornwall, Wiltshire and Calderdale in West Yorkshire. It said that 40 per cent of women reported difficulties in finding the childcare they needed.
The report suggested that many women's jobs do not match their skills and the women held higher qualifications than the jobs required. It said the lack of accessible and appropriate childcare, combined with low wages, limited public transport and the cost of private transport, meant working mothers had no option but to take whatever was on offer.
Countryside Agency director Margaret Clark said women made 'a very significant contribution to rural economies' and represented 'a huge untapped potential to contribute more, but are inhibited from doing so'.
She added, 'Our research shows the challenges facing women working in the countryside are diverse and complex to address.'
Rosemary Murphy, chief executive of the National Day Nurseries Association, welcomed the report's highlighting of 'several well-known factors that make childcare more problematic in the countryside', but said it failed to address 'how the planning problems that are regularly experienced by childcare start-ups in the countryside can be a barrier to new provision'.
She said, 'It would be a useful exercise to gather case studies to inform a co-ordinated approach to unblocking this problem.'
The report said the lack of childcare meant some women could not have a paid job, while for others it involved costly and time-consuming journeys to deliver and collect children. As a result, self-employment is an increasingly popular option for many women who are looking after small children.
The Countryside Agency has launched the Women in Rural Enterprise initiative in partnership with HSBC and Askham Bryan College to make business advisers aware of the issues rural women face, and to deliver business support and tailored advice.
