Year: 2019 | Month: September | Volume 64 | Issue 3
Feminism in Indian Agriculture
DOI:10.30954/0424-2513.3.2019.18
Abstract:
Feminism in Indian agriculture signifies the involvement of women in agriculture and allied activities. Agriculture is one of the strong hold of Indian Economy with growth rate of 3.4 per cent and is accounted for 17.32 per cent to the total GDP during 2018-19. During 2011-12, Agriculture employed more than 50 per cent of the Indian work force. It was estimated that 45.3 per cent of agricultural labour force consist of women but a large number of women remained invisible workers. Therefore, women constitute an important part of our labour force in agriculture and perform multidimensional roles. In rural India, the percentage of women who depend on agriculture for their livelihood is as high as 84 per cent (Census, 2011). Women make up about 30 per cent of cultivators and about 43 per cent percent of agricultural laborers. As small farmers face the increasing competition with larger farm operations an increasing number of men migrate to city centers for higher wages and employment. Women are in turn left to support the family structure and support small farm lifestyle. Since, there has been concern expressed regarding the gap between women’s actual economic participation and public perception, several researchers have attempted to overcome this invisibility through gendered empirical research studies for using on gender analysis and gender roles. This topic is highlighting the female participation and wages in agriculture across various Indian states. The secondary data collected for the research is used to study the growth rate of the female agricultural worker for several years. Various challenges are still persistent so special policy as well as programs should be organized to mitigate them. Agricultural education be made gender sensitive and research, development, extension and services be engendered to give due recognition to the multiple role played by women agriculturists.
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