FEMINIZATION OF AGRICULTURE

The presumption of society about rural women in India as illiterate, weak, and financially dependent people that usually perform household chores and take care of family. This picture is partially true but not completely; the truth is that Indian rural women are a torchbearer for the social, economic, and environmental transformation of "New India". The workforce participation rate for rural females is significantly higher at 41.8% against urban women's participation rate of 35.32% (MoSPI 2017). In rural community agriculture and the allied sector is the primary source of livelihood; that includes 80% of all economically active women engaged in all level of agriculture-chain starting from pre-harvesting to post-harvesting activities including packaging, marketing, etc.

THE REASON BEHIND THE FEMINIZATION OF AGRICULTURE

Increasing participation of women in agriculture activity is praiseworthy but we have to understand the reason behind this increasing engagement of women in activities about agriculture.

• One such reason is agrarian distress, which has led to a shift of male members to non-farm activities and pushed female members to perform agricultural and allied activities. With male out-migration, women have additionally taken on the role of providing for their household daily, since remittances are irregular. This means that they now have to take care of their farming and also work as agricultural wage labor.

• The second reason is that women are more willing to accept low-paid irregular work as compared to men; women are easy to hire and fire; and thought to be docile and hard working. Apart from these reasons certain jobs are typified as women's work like picking tea.

 

INITIATIVES BY GOVERNMENT

The Government of India has prioritized the agenda of "Gender Mainstreaming" in agriculture. Special beneficiary-oriented schemes are led by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare to mainstream the participation of rural women and these special schemes provide for states and other implementing agencies to anchor at least 30% expenditure on women farmers.

For skill development and capacity building amongst women farmer skill training are being imparted. This includes Support to State Extension Programme for Extension Reforms (ATMA Scheme) under Sub-Mission on Agriculture Extension (SMAE). Skill training courses in agriculture and allied areas of a minimum of 200 hours are also being conducted for women farmers through National Training Institute, State Agriculture Management, and Extension Training, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, and State Agriculture University across the country.

ISSUES FACED BY WOMEN 

Even after this much participation shown from women and Government both, there are issues. 

• Women involved in agriculture still lag in terms of land and asset ownership, even when acting as primary cultivators. This is largely due to patriarchal social norms and limited awareness about their property rights and apart from this women are also not recognized as farmers in Indian policies.

• Infrastructure facilities in agriculture, in general, are not designed with women farmers in mind and also mechanization of agriculture has resulted in the confinement of women to labor-intensive and menial roles such as winnowing harvesting showing seats, and rearing livestock.

• Women in agriculture suffer from a high illiteracy rate and drop out of school and have little awareness about the existing schemes, benefits, rights, etc. As a result of this female population engaged in agriculture has poor economic as well as social growth.

 

WAY FORWARD

India has taken a significant initiative in extending banking outreach to rural areas. The financial inclusion and accessibility to banking through Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana has boosted confidence and prospects of rural women's participation in economic activities, still, we have to overcome many hurdles which could be attained by enhancing the representation of women in decision-making bodies, agriculture education be made gender-sensitive, and prioritizing women in accessing credit on soft terms from financial institutions.

-BHAVNA GEED.