Rural women face marginalization in decision-making processes, encountering numerous obstacles against active participation in the community affairs. This study aims to explore the possibilities and tools through which women themselves express and articulate their demands and opinions.
The data collection utilized qualitative methods, primarily through semi-structured interviews with women from Hoshak village in Sistan and Baluchestan province. The analysis employed Thematic Analysis.
The findings reveal that beyond conventional methods, rural women employ cyberspace groups (WhatsApp) as mechanisms to voice their concerns. In case of setbacks, they resort to actions such as escalating demands to higher authorities, seeking mediation from village leaders, or taking spontaneous actions to address their needs. Influencing factors on women's voice in the village include special privileges for some women to express themselves, while disincentives involve rural community and women's considerations upon women's presence and participation, impossibility for women to attend village meetings, and discriminations against women in village cyberspace groups.
The results suggest that an expectation has developed among women, particularly those with higher education levels, to be acknowledged and heard by village officials. Consequently, traditional administrative attitudes toward women in rural areas have become less effective. The transformative experience of the village's cyberspace group provides women with information about local events and opportunities to express their demands and opinions. In conclusion, despite women creating pathways and mechanisms within rural culture, their peripheral status persists due to factors such as awareness levels, information sharing, and limited opportunities for effective expression.