Using data obtained from Living Standards Measurement Surveys of rural households, the socio demographics of female and male headed households for a limited set of countries in the 90's and 2000's are studied. The analysis shows that the bigger the participation of agriculture in the national product, the larger the number of female headed rural households. General trends in average schooling, comparative unemployment, changes in income or consumption and access to electricity services, poverty and income inequality among rural households are investigated.