Public policies and social responsibility regarding gender policies in rural areas of Spain: Do men and women agree on its necessity and relevance?

Public social responsibility includes the implementation of policies to reduce gender differences in employment. This responsibility is even more essential in rural areas facing serious socioeconomic and demographic sustainability challenges. Using data from a survey on inhabitants of the so-called “depopulated Spain”, this study find gender-related differences as regards the factors conditioning the desire to emigrate. The intention to leave their regions of origin is stronger in women than in men, with this intention being affected by demographic and socioeconomic variables. Young and middle-aged women are mainly employed in the service sector, and those with a higher level of education have a clear desire to emigrate to larger, more populated municipalities. In addition, different male and female profiles characterise the prioritisation of a series of public policies that the public administration could promote to enhance equality, in economic terms, in the field of social protection and to incentivise the presence of women in company representative bodies.