Synopsis Women in Rural Development: Contemporary Social Policy and Practice addresses the socio-economic status of rural women in India, the origin of rural development, development planning shift towards rural women, development programmes of the government, and policies and programme interventions for empowerment of rural women. The book begins with an overview of the policies and practice for the development of rural women. The second section presents a wide spectrum of rural development strategies including the concept of self-help, micro-credit and value addition of rural products to build the economic capacities of rural products to build the economic capacities of rural women. The third section reports the significant role played by rural women in responding to environmental challenges and promoting sustainable development through interesting cases. The last section offers a critical insight into the current welfare strategies for rural women in development and raises issues that would shape development activism from a gender sensitive dimension. The book examines the difficulties and struggles of rural women and provides correctives for their development and enhanced quality of life. The interdisciplinary scope of the book make it an ideal text for a wide range of disciplines including women’s studies, development studies, rural development, sociology, social work, agricultural sciences, extension studies and social policy.