The Sustainable Development Goals Nexus: How Women’s Health Shapes Rural Social and Economic Development

Abstract

Women’s health plays a central yet often overlooked role in shaping rural social and economic development, particularly in low-resource contexts. This study explored how women’s health influences development trajectories in rural communities of Mardan and Nowshehra districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan, drawing on qualitative insights from multiple community and health-system stakeholders. Using an exploratory qualitative research design, data were collected through in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews with women, male household decision-makers, community leaders, and frontline health providers. Reflexive thematic analysis revealed three interconnected thematic domains: (1) constrained health access shaped by gender norms, mobility restrictions, and inconsistent health system functionality; (2) the invisible burden of women’s health on household productivity, childcare, education, and nutrition; and (3) the recognition among community stakeholders that improvements in women’s health are essential to achieving broader development progress, despite persistent socio-cultural and structural barriers.

Findings demonstrate that poor women’s health is not only a medical concern but a structural limitation affecting household livelihoods, intergenerational well-being, and progress toward Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDGs 3, 4, 5, and 8. The study concludes that integrated, gender-responsive strategies strengthening primary healthcare, enhancing women’s autonomy, and embedding women’s health priorities across rural development policies are necessary to support sustainable transformation. These insights underscore the importance of positioning women’s health as a core development driver rather than an isolated health-sector issue.