The paper examines the forms of insertion of women in the agricultural farm, with the purpose of explaining the gender selectivity of migration. Firstly, it deals with the population distribution, by sex and age groups, in different regions of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, in order to characterize the higher emigration of young women in comparison with other groups. Afterwards, it deals with the division of work by sex and age, the effects of modernization upon the agricultural work and the ways in which the farmers transfer their property to the children. Finally it discusses the possible effects of the access of rural women to the Social Security on their perspectives of remaining or not in the agricultural activity.
gender and agriculture; rural women; rural migration
