ABSTRACT
Various studies have contributed to sensitising the marginalisation of women in the social and economic spheres globally. But more prominent is the oblivious exclusion of rural women’s contribution to society. Lacking voice and a corporate platform to promote their socio-economic contribution, rural women are usually subject to poverty, harassment and gender inequality. In an attempt to equalise gender responsibility and eradicate poverty, governments around the world continue to identify strategies and implement pro-poor growth policies. In Malawi, the government identified the tourism sector in the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy as a means of tackling poverty in the rural areas of Malawi. Considering that the majority of the poor in Malawi are rural women, the role of tourism in eradicating poverty has become crucial. This study, therefore, was executed to highlight the prominent socio-economic role of women from rural communities in the realm of tourism as an entrepreneurship propellant. Through the study, socio-culturally embedded factors were identified as the main challenges that obstruct women’s contribution to society, despite women being the integral financial providers for their families. The role of tourism in expanding women’s entrepreneurship through the development of small and medium businesses was further vindicated, despite tourism playing a detrimental role in various social facets of rural communities.
