Women play a key role in rural areas. But at the same time, they face a number of problems, including employment. Successful resolution of this issue will largely determine the efficiency of agricultural production, the availability of qualified personnel, the reduction of unemployment, the reduction of social exclusion in rural areas, the improvement of living standards and the overall development of rural areas. This will also influence the formation of social policy in these areas. To investigate this issue, authors use a microsimulation approach that allows predicting potential gaps in the female labor supply by major occupational and qualification groups in rural areas in the medium term by studying rural households. Thus, the main goal of this article is to identify main challenges and opportunities for balancing the supply of women's labor in rural areas. The results of the study are the basis for both the development of rural development strategies and the formation of social policy in particular. Based on a brief analysis of the status of women in the rural labor market in European countries, it can be argued that the issues raised in the article are relevant not only for Ukraine but also for other countries.