Unlike middle-class households, women from marginal and poorer households and widows cannot afford to follow traditions and culturally imposed restrictions on women's mobility. Hence they are involved in a wider range of activities. In areas where seasonal migration takes men away to the cities, the abundance of female-headed households necessitates women's involvement in all aspects of crop and fish production. Such women face the 'double burden' of having to contribute substantially to income or food generating activities, while still being wholly responsible for the care of the family. On the other hand, a handful of more charismatic women have also managed to turn this situation to their advantage on their own initiative by starting up commercially-oriented aquaculture operations, eg backyard shrimp hatcheries on the southern coast of Sumatra, or finfish farming on the east coast of Malaysia.
Many factors contribute to the restriction of women's access to information.
Presently, extension is organised on the assumption that the family is an altruistic institution and there is an unrestricted flow of information for the benefit of all concerned members. Extension efforts tend to be directed solely at male members of the community. Extension agencies generally regard men as the heads of households or find it easier and faster to teach men. Further, childcare and other household duties often prevent women from attending meetings, and cultural factors may inhibit them from leaving home or the local area for training courses. In most South and some Southeast Asian countries, the female literacy rate is much lower than that of men, further limiting the access of women to extension and training materials.