Role of farm women in Indian Agriculture

1. 1

2. Role of farm women in Indian Agriculture
2

3. “In order to awaken the people, it is the woman who have to
be awakened. Once she is on move, the family moves, the
village moves, the nation moves”
Pandit Jawaharalal Nehru
3

4. According to Swaminathan,
“Some historians believe that it was woman who first
domesticated crop plants and thereby initiated the art and
science of farming. While men went out hunting in search of
food, women started gathering seeds from the native flora and
began cultivating those of interest from the point of view of
food, feed, fodder, fibre and fuel.”
4

5. Objectives of the seminar
To know the status of women
To assess the role of women in agriculture and allied activities
To enlist some of the research evidence related to role of
women in Agriculture
5

6. Status of women in worldwide
Women and Poverty
70 % of the 1.2 billion people living in poverty are women
Women as Workers
Women do more than
67% of the hours of work done in the world
Earn only 10% of the world’s income
And own only 1% of the world’s property
The value of unremunerated work was estimated at about $16
billion, from which $11 billion represents the invisible
contribution of women
6

7. Cont…
Women are paid 30-40% less than men for comparable work
on an average.
60-80% of the food in most developing countries is produced
by women.
Women hold between 10-20% managerial and administrative
jobs.
Women make up less than 5% of the world’s heads of state.
7

8. † Census 2001, women - 48.26 % of the total population
of India.
Among the total population
† literacy rate -54.16%
† Rural women literacy rate -31.6%
† Urban women literacy rate-54.01%
† Female share of non-agricultural wage employment is only 17%
† Participation of women in the workforce is only
13.9% in the urban sector and
29.9% in the rural sector
Status of women in India
8

9. Cont…….
Women’s wage rates are, on an average
only 75 % of men’s wage rates
constitute only 25% of the family income
In no Indian State women and men earn equal wages in
agriculture.
Women occupy
only 9% of parliamentary seats
less than 4% seats in High Courts and Supreme Court
less than 3% administrators and managers are women.
9

10. Source: ESCAP ,2001
Literacy rates of male and female in 2001(%)
10

11. Distribution of women workers in India
Year Total Female
Population
Million
Cultivators(%) Agricultural
Labourers (%)
Industry and
Service (%)
1951 173,543 45.3 31.3 23.3
1961 212,467 55.7 23.9 20.4
1971 263,900 29.6 50.5 19.90
1981 321.357 33.2 46.2 20.6
1991 402,813 34.5 43.6 21.9
2001 494 million 36.5 43.5 20.0
Source : Registrar General of India, New Delhi, 2001
11

12. Women supervising the agricultural operations
performed by the labourers
12
Source: Percentage of the respondents’relationship to the farm work as per the research.

13. Decision Making Pattern of Rural Families
Activity Decision making pattern (percentage)
Male share Female share joint by
Male & Female
Adoption of HYV 83 - 17
Use of fertilizers and plant
protection measures
80 - 20
Purchase of farm machinery 72 - 28
Purchase and sale of animals 21 - 64
Sale of milk and milk product 11 - 78
Procurement of credit 50 - 50
Marketing farm produce 32 6 62
Investment of added profit 26 7 67
(Bala 2003) 13

14. Share of Farm Women in Agricultural Operations
Activity Involvement (percentage )
Land preparation 32
Sowing and cleaning 80
Intercultural activities 86
Harvesting –reaping, winnowing,
drying, cleaning and storage
84
14

15. Time and Energy Distribution by Rural Women
Activities Duration
Hours/day
Energy
K.cal
Percentage
Domestic activities 7.55 903 40.5
Agriculture allied
activities
7.00 283 39.69
Sleep 6.50 283 12.76
Rest and recreation 2.15 155 6.97
Total 23.20 2255 100.0
Joshi (1999)
15

16. Why women in agriculture?
In order to eradicating poverty
To ensure food security
To increase their stake in agriculture
To increase economic contribution
Ownership in land , livestock, etc.
16

17. Importance of women in agriculture
Woman is the moulder and builder of any nation’s destiny.
They play a significant role in any economy.
They are regarded as the backbone of the rural scene.
Most of the women perform various types of work for their
livelihood and agriculture is considered as the biggest
unorganized sector where large number of rural women take
part actively.
17

18. Multi-Dimensional Role of Women
(i) Agriculture :Sowing,transplanting,weeding,irrigation fertilizer
application, plant protection, harvesting, winnowing, storing
etc.
(ii) Domestic: Cooking, child rearing, water collection, fuel wood
gathering, household maintenance.
(iii) Allied Activities: Cattle management, fodder collection
milking etc.
18

19. Cont…
(iv) Horticulture: vegetable production, flower production, fruit
production.
(v)Sericulture: silk worm rearing, cocoon production.
19

20. Tasks of women in agriculture
20

21. Women's participation in the labour force
Women's roles in farming systems
Women in biological diversity
Women in the cash crop sector
Women in the post-harvest sector
Employment and enterprises of women
Heading households and household production
21
Tasks of women in Agriculture

22. Problems in women participation are
1.Some of the farm women may inhibited to participate .
2.Most of the women were willing to take up jobs, though they
remained unemployed.
3.New jobs require a different kind of skills .
4.As wage-earning agriculture labourers, women suffer other
kind of disadvantages also.
22

23. Cont..
5.While men attended farmer’s camps to learn about the use of
new implements, fertilizers, pesticide and crop rotation,etc.
6.Constraints on time and mobility by women’s dual domestic
and agricultural roles .
7.Inefficient transfer of agricultural knowledge from husband to
wife.
8.Lack of incentives to increase productivity .
23

24. Suggestions to over come the above problems
The women in rural area should be educated .
To promote rural development programmes .
A good and democratic leadership should be created at the
grass roots level.
Women’s clubs and other organizations should be set up in the
village.
24

25. Cont…
Several meetings and training of village women should be
conducted.
The training should be able to create awareness, generate
interest, motivate learning, impart knowledge, change attitude
and generate skills.
25

26. Risks / work stress factors
Physical Stress / Risk of injury
Risk / Stress due to Vehicle / Machinery
Environmental Risks / Stress
26

27. Invisibility of Women’s Work
Non recognition of Women’s role in decision making.
Historical and Complex Causes reinforced by social, cultural,
political and religious practices and beliefs.
No recognition of women in institutional work.
27

28. Recommendation
Correct the statistical invisibility of women’s work through
preparation of an account that should include in detail the work
that women undertake.
Policies and funds allocation need to take cognizance of this,
and address women’s needs.
28

29. Cont…
Adequate attention is given to the educational process through
which women engage with the institutions in an informed and
empowered way.
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.
29

30. Evolution of Policy
Gender mainstreaming started from the VI Five Year Plan
when ‘opportunities for independent employment and income’
for women was recognized as a necessary condition for raising
social status of women.
Plan Focus
6th Five Year Plan Shift from Welfare to Developmental Issues
7th Five Year Plan Raising Economic and Social Status of Women
8th Five Year Plan Increased Emphasis on Economic Activities
9th Five Year Plan From Development to Empowerment
10th Five Year Plan From Women Alone to Gender Mainstreaming
11th Five Year plan Propose to Move Towards a Holistic Approach
30

31. Women contribution to agriculture
Responsible for household food and nutrition security.
90% of the hoeing and weeding in food production.
80% of the work on food storage and transport.
More than 90% of post harvest management including food
processing, providing water and energy.
More than 60% of harvesting and marketing.
31

32. Research evidences
32

33. A study on the knowledge and participation of rural
women in agricultural operation with respect to
paddy crop and their value orientation in Dharwad
District of Karnataka state -1979
Malati N.Dipali
33

34. Participation of rural women in farm operations with respect to
paddy cultivation
Sl. No Items (farm operation ) number Percentage
1 Sowing 132 85.2
2 Weeding 129 83.2
3 Storage of grains 125 80.6
4 Land preparation 120 77.4
5 Cleaning seeds for sowing 114 73.5
6 Gap filling 102 65.8
7 Manure and fertilizer application 102 65.8
8 Harvesting 98 63.2
9 Threshing and winnowing 97 62.6
10 Labour supervision 47 30.3
11 Plant protection measures 30 19.4
12 Seed treatment 20 12.9
13 Ploughing 0 00.0
34
n=155
Malati N.Dipali, 1979

35. Participation of rural women in agriculture in kundapur
taluk of coastal Karnataka-1993
Nagabhushanum , K .
Sridhar Herle P.
And Naika K.V
35

36. Extent of participation of farm women in agriculture
Sl.No Group Number Percent
1 Low 17 14.20
2 Medium 85 70.80
3 High 18 15.00
Total 120 100.00
36
Nagabhushanum et.al, 1993

37. Participation of farm women in different cultivation practices
Sl.No Practices Regular Occasional Never
No % No % No %
1 Land preparation 35 29.2 25 20.8 60 50.0
2 Seed selection 44 36.7 34 28.3 42 35.0
3 Transplanting 80 66.7 19 15.8 21 17.5
4 Fertilizer
application
66 55.0 34 28.3 20 16.7
5 Weeding 76 63.3 28 23.3 16 13.3
6 Plant protection
measures
57 47.5 32 26.7 31 25.8
7 Harvesting 80 66.7 24 20.0 16 13.3
37
Nagabhushanum et.al, 1993

38. Participation of women in agricultural activities –
1996
Meera Singh
S.Sitalakshmi
N.C .Varma
38

39. Nature of participation in pre-harvest operation
Pre-harvest operation Percentage
(N=163)
Percentage of respondent
involved in
Actual doing Supervision Both
Land preparation 10.4 45.4 16.6 38.5
Ploughing 4.3 - 100.0 -
Application of fertilizer 41.7 39.8 38.3 3.0
Dropping the seeds 42.3 98.6 - 1.5
Behind the plough 42.3 98.6 - 1.5
Sowing 42.3 98.6 - 1.5
Transplanting 42.3 98.6 - 1.5
Weeding and hoeing 42.3 98.6 - 1.5
Application of pesticide 4.3 - 100.0 -
Irrigation 30.6 83.7 - 16.3
Scaring of birds 42.3 98.6 - 1.5
39

40. Participation of women in post -harvest activities
Pre-harvest operation Percentage
(N=163)
Percentage of respondent involved
in
Actual doing supervision both
Carrying the produce from field to
home
97.5 57.2 42.8 0.6
Harvesting 98.8 57.4 42.4 1.2
Threshing 98.8 57.4 42.4 1.2
Winnowing 98.8 57.4 42.4 1.2
Storage of food grains 99.3 82.7 9.3 8.3
Various post harvest operation 89.0 33.8 30.3 35.9
Grain processing 99.4 20.7 8.4 14.2
40

41. Work participation of women in coffee cultivation in Wayanad
District of Kerala
SindhuSadanandan, 1998
41

42. Extent of work participation in coffee
cultivation
Sl. No Work
participation
category
Frequency of
respondent
Percentage
1 High 32 43
2 Medium 13 17
3 Low 30 40
42
Sindhu Sadanandan, 1998

43. Extent of work participation of women coffee growers in
different operation of coffee cultivation
Sl. No Operation Extent of work participation
Percentage rank
1 Gleening collection 57 I
2 Harvesting 52 II
3 Weeding 50 III
4 Post-harvest operation 48 IV
5 Planting 48 IV
6 Jungle cleaning 42 V
7 Cover digging 40 VI
8 Desuckering 39 VII
9 Lime application 36 VIII
10 Staking 30 IX
43
Sindhu Sadanandan, 1998

44. Participation of farm women in commercial poultry
farming
Amudha, S,. 1999
44

45. Overall extent of participation of farm women in poultry
farming activities
Sl. No Extent of
participation
Small poultry
farm women
(n=60)
No. %
Big poultry
farm women
(n=60)
No. %
Total
(N=120)
No. %
1 Low 7 12.0 16 27.0 23 19.0
2 Medium 34 57.0 35 58.0 69 58.0
3 High 19 31.0 9 15.0 28 23.0
Total 6 100.0 60 100.0 120 100.0
45
Amudha, S,. 1999

46. Studies on involvement of women in agriculture
and allied activities in kalahandi district of Orissa
– 2002
M.M.Hossain and
S.N.Mishra
46

47. Role of farm women in decision making
Sl.
No
Variables Number of
respondent
Percentage Rank
1. Backyard kitchen
gardening
118 78.7 I
2. Family budgeting 150 100.0 II
3. Goat rearing 107 71.3 III
4. Cattle management 121 80.7 IV
5. Selection of crops and
varieties
141 94.0 V
6. Raising of fruits
&vegetables
97 64.7 VI
7. Poultry keeping 149 99.3 VII
N=150
47
M.M.Hossain and S.N.Mishra, 2002

48. Participation of women in crop production
Sl.No Variables Number of
respondent
Percentage
1 Seed treatment 32 21.3
2 Nursery raising sowing 68 45.5
3 Application of manure & fertilizer 44 29.3
4 Uprooting of seedling and
transplanting
89 59.3
5 Weeding 87 58.0
6 Plant protection measures 51 34.0
7 Harvesting 103 68.6
8 Threshing and winnowing 85 56.6
9 Storage 71 47.3
N=150
48
M.M.Hossain and S.N.Mishra, 2002

49. Participation of women in vegetable and fruit cultivation
Sl.No Variables Number of
respondent
Percentage
1 Use of HYV hybrid varieties 82 54.6
2 Nursery raising 103 68.6
3 Sowing/planning 110 73.3
4 Backyard kitchen gardening 136 90.6
5 Development of fruit orchard 40 26.8
6 Application of manure & fertilizer 41 27.3
7 Interculture 109 72.6
8 Plant protection measures 29 19.0
9 Harvesting 115 76.6
10 Preservation of fruits and vegetables 108 72.0
11 Marketing 51 34.5
N=150
49
M.M.Hossain and S.N.Mishra, 2002

50. Participation of women in livestock enterprise
Sl. No Variables Number of
respondent
Percentage
1 Cattle management 122 81.3
2 Goat rearing 128 85.3
3 Poultry keeping 90 60.0
4 Cleaning of shed 101 67.3
5 Feeding 108 72.0
6 Milking 120 80.0
7 Marketing 41 27.3
N=150
50
M.M.Hossain and S.N.Mishra, 2002

51. Participation of women in other income generation activity
Sl . No Variables Number of
respondent
Percentage
1 Leaf planting 40 26.6
2 Rope making 50 30.0
3 Bamboo works 61 40.6
4 Mushroom cultivation 55 36.6
5 Papad making 78 52.0
N=150
51
M.M.Hossain and S.N.Mishra, 2002

52. Constraints faced by women in agriculture and
allied activities
Sl. No Variables Number of
respondent
Percentage
1 Illiteracy and lack of
knowledge
131 87.3
2 Conservative attitude 122 81.3
3 Financial constraints 124 82.6
4 Rising price of farm inputs
and low price of produce
98 65.3
5 Liquor addiction by male
counter parts
52 34.7
6 Lack of appropriate
technology and
infrastructure
89 59.3
N=150
52
M.M.Hossain and S.N.Mishra, 2002

53. 53
A study on decision making pattern and
participation of rural women in farming enterprise
WAKLE, P.K, BELLURKAR, C.M AND GHOLVE, M.A., 2003

54. A study on decision making pattern and participation of rural women in
farming enterprise
Sl.
No
Decision activity Independent
male decisions
Independent
female decisions
Joint decisions No decisions
F % F % F % F %
1 Pre sowing 884 59.4 58 4.1 301 21.2 21 7 15.3
2 Sowing 839 59.1 54 3.8 310 21.8 217 15.3
3 Crop care and nurturing 830 58.5 55 3.9 315 22.2 220 15.5
4 Harvesting and storage 772 54.5 62 4.4 369 26.0 217 15.3
5 Retention of produce for seed 857 60.4 59 4.2 285 20.1 219 15.4
6 Seed treatment and storage 843 59.4 58 4.1 301 21.2 218 15.4
7 Marketing/sale of produce 857 60.4 51 3.6 294 20.7 218 15.4
8 Purchase of agril.land ,farm inputs
and implements
932 65.6 35 2.5 221 15.6 232 16.3
9 Obtaining bank loans and credit for
farming
942 66.3 33 2.3 177 12.5 268 18.9
10 Repayment of loan 962 67.8 32 2.3 154 10.9 272 19.2
54
Wakle et.al, 2003

55. Percentage distribution of women in participation in major cash crop
production
Sl . No Decision activity No participation Jointly with male
members
Jointly with female
members
Always
independent
F % F % F % F %
1 Seed selection 986 69.5 385 27.1 17 1.2 31 2.2
2 Nursery raising 526 37.1 326 23 559 39.4 8 0.6
3 Land preparation for
transplanting
1313 92.5 40 2.8 66 4.7 - -
4 Application of manure &
fertilizer
500 35.2 466 32.8 445 31.4 8 0.6
5 Transplanting 1307 92.1 56 4.0 56 4.0 - -
6 Weeding 464 32.7 129 9.1 804 56.7 22 1.6
7 Plant protection measures 496 35.0 303 21.4 614 43.4 6 0.4
8 Harvesting 488 34.4 360 25.4 555 39.1 16 1.1
55
Wakle et.al, 2003

56. Percentage distribution of rural women in participation in post
harvest activities
S l No Decision activity No
participation
Joint with male Joint with
female
Always
independent
F % F % F % F %
1 Threshing 599 42.2 373 26.3 413 29.1 34 2.4
2 Dehusking 592 41.1 377 26.6 416 29.3 34 2.4
3 Cleaning 547 38.6 365 25.7 473 33.3 34 2.4
4 Shelling 544 38.3 362 25.5 477 33.6 36 2.5
5 Grading 543 38.3 400 28.2 440 31.0 36 2.5
6 Drying/storage for
household consumption
431 30.4 152 10.7 653 46.6 186 12.9
7 Parboiling 718 50.6 171 12.1 453 31.9 77 5.4
8 Marketing 1013 71.4 337 23.8 36 2.5 33 2.3
9 Any other 1418 99.9 001 0.1
56
Wakle et.al, 2003

57. Conclusion
57