OBJECTIVES: to analyze the social representations of rural women about being a woman in the rural context and its implications for sexual and reproductive health. METHODS: this is a descriptive qualitative study with data triangulation, based on the Theory of Social Representations, developed with 31 women who live in the rural context of Minas Gerais (MG/BR). An in-depth interview with a semi-structured script was conducted. A lexical analysis was performed with the help of the ALCESTE 2012 software. RESULTS: the family relationship, especially the couple's, demonstrated subjectivities and was permeated by violence and normalized sexual practice. The imagery dimension of the ideal family seems to be responsible for exerting domination over rural women. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: rural women are subject to the norms and prescriptions of a patriarchal society. It is urgent to increase attention to sexual and reproductive health in an egalitarian and liberating way in order to minimize the consequences of machismo and conservatism.