Journal of Agroecology and Natural Resource Management p-ISSN: 2394-0786, e-ISSN: 2394-0794, Volume 4, Issue 1; January-March, 2017, pp. 37-43 © Krishi Sanskriti Publications http://www.krishisanskriti.org/Publication.html Role of Women in Indian Agriculture-Issues and Challenges Swami Prakash Srivastava1 and Sachin Prakash Srivastava2 1Head, Dept. of Economics, & Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Dayalbagh Deemed University-Agra-282005 2Students of MBA-Final Year, RBS Management & Technical Campus-Agra-282005 E-mail: [email protected] “ We can’t neglect the importance of women who comprise half of classified as agricultural labourers and 37% as cultivators. About 70 our population in nation building the upholder of tradition must also percent of farm work was performed by women. be ushered for modernity ,we should look to science for greater social justice and equality of opportunity” Keywords:- Marginal Workers, Extension Programmes, Live- Stock Production, DRWA, Agro Social Forestry —The Late Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi(1988) 1. INTRODUCTION Agriculture in India defines familial tradition, social relations and gender roles. Female in the agricultural sector, whether The women is the backbone of agricultural workforce and are through traditional means or industrial, for subsistence or as a vital part of Indian economy. Over the years, there is a an agricultural laborer, represents a momentous demographic gradual realization of the key role of women in agricultural group. Agriculture is directly tied to issues such as economic development and their contribution in the field of agriculture, independence, decision-making abilities, agency and access to food security, horticulture, dairy, nutrition, sericulture, education and health services and this manner has created fisheries, and other allied sectors. Women form the backbone externalities such as poverty and marginalization, and of agriculture, in India, Comprising the majority of compounded issues of gender inequality. Agriculture agricultural laborers, women have been putting in labour not continues to play an important role in most non-industrial only in terms of physical output but also in terms of quality economies, as a major contributor to the country’s export and efficiency. With various targeted efforts,her earnings and as a source of employment and livelihood. enlightenment will change the face of rural India. Abstract Rural women are responsible for production of more than 55% “Improved access to women in agriculture could bring down the food grains and comprise 67% of total agricultural labour number of hungry people by 12-17%, or 100-150 million” -Report of the “Global Forum on Agricultural Research” Rome force. The role of woman in agriculture varies from country to Agriculture is the backbone of any developing country like India. country. Asian woman contribute to about 50% of the food Women who have sustained the growth of society molded the future production. In south-east Asia, women play major roles in of nations. In the emerging complex social scenario women have a sowing, transplanting, harvesting and processing staple crops pivotal role to play. Rural women from the most important productive like rice. Complementary gender roles are also found in most work force in the economy of majority of the developing nations areas as in Nepal and India where women exclusively gather including India. fodder for buffaloes, cattle and other livestock. Almost all Women Workers are engaged in almost all the activities of women in rural India can be termed as farmers, in some sense, agriculture. From sowing to selling farm products, women’s role in working as agricultural labour, unpaid workers in families and agriculture has been globally recognized. Women constitute 43% of agricultural workers in much of the developing world, most of whom farm enterprises or a combination of the two. are forced to make do with less access to resources such as water, fertilizer and market outlets than men. Experts say that by providing 2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE these basic services to women, agriculture productivity could grow 20-25% to meet food security and reduce hunger at a time when food Various studies have showed that the female contribution to import bill is soaring. the overall economy is high throughout Asia and the Pacific Women in India are major producers of food in terms of value, region, particularly in terms of labour input into agriculture. volume and number of hours worked. Agriculture continues to be the Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Myanmar, major employer of India’s workforce. Of this workforce, mainly small Nepal, Pakistan and Vietnam have particularly high and marginal workers are women. Nearly 63 percent of all percentages of women employed in the agricultural sector, economically active men are engaged in agriculture as compared to with estimates ranging between 60 and 98 percent. Indeed, in 78 per cent of women. Almost 50 percent of rural female workers are 38 Swami Prakash Srivastava and Sachin Prakash Srivastava most Asian countries the number of women employed in work for 1060 hours, a man for 1212 hours and a woman for agriculture as a percentage of the economically active 3485 hours. Generally, operations performed by men are those population (EAP) is higher than that of men. that entail use of machinery and animals. Contrary to this, women always rely on manual labour using only their own FAO (2003); A global survey shows that women represent a energy. In rural India, the percentage of women who depend substantial share of the total agricultural labour force, as on agriculture for their livelihood is as high as 84%. Women individual food producers or as agricultural workers, and that make up about 33% of cultivators and about 47% percent of around two-thirds of the female labour force in developing agricultural laborers. These statistics do not account for work economies is engaged in agricultural work in livestock, fisheries and various other ancillary forms of Rao, (2006); reported that nearly 63 percent of all food production in the country. In 2009, 94% of the female economically active men are engaged in agriculture as agricultural labor force in crop cultivation were in cereal compared to 78 per cent of women. Almost 50 percent of rural production, while 1.4% worked in vegetable production, and female workers are classified as agricultural labourers and 3.72% were engaged in fruits, nuts, beverages, and spice 37% as cultivators. About 70 percent of farm work was crops. Not only are women overworked, their work is more performed by women. arduous than that undertaken by men. Further, since women’s work is largely based on human energy it is considered Kiran Yadav(2009); observed that in over all farm production, unskilled and hence less productive. On this basis, women are women’s average contribution is at 55% to 66% of the total invariably paid less wage despite their working harder and for labour with percentages, much higher in certain parts of the longer hours. This makes the woman’s work invisible. country. In certain part of the country, a pair of bullock works 1064 hours, a man 1212 hours and a woman 3485 hours in a In India, rural women are extensively involved in agricultural year on a one hectare farm, a figure that illustrates significant activities and form the most important productive workforce. contribution of women to agricultural production. They are engaged in agricultural activities in three different ways depending on the socio-economic status of their family World Bank (2011); Only 17.5% of India's gross domestic and regional factors. They work as: Paid Labourers, Cultivator product(GDP) is accounted for by agricultural production. Yet doing labour on their own land and Managers of certain for a majority of the country, an estimated 72% of the 1.1 aspects of agricultural production by way of labour billion people who live in rural India, it is a way of life. supervision and the participation in post harvest operations. 3. SIGNIFICANCE OF WOMEN IN INDIAN Rural India is witnessing a process which could be described AGRICULTURE as “feminization of agriculture”. Table 1.0 showed the share of farm women in different agricultural operations. While doing Background these farm operations women has to face various health hazards. The National Research Centre for Women in Society is the base for overall development of a nation. And Agriculture (NRCWA) has assessed occupational health the society’s structure depends entirely upon the status and hazards of farm women in coastal Orissa some years back and condition of its women. The condition of women was far results are furnished in Table 2.0 better in ancient India. In early period Aryans treated men and women alike in all religious rituals and social functions. But Table 1: Share of Farm Women in Agricultural Operations condition of women has declined gradually. Gender is the Activity Involvement (%) word used especially for the female population of the society. Land preparation 32 Many historians believe that it was woman who first Seed cleaning and sowing 80 domesticated crop plants and thereby initiated the art and Inter cultivation activities 86 science of farming. In those primitive days, when men went Harvesting reaping, winnowing, drying, 84 out hunting in search of food, women started gathering seeds cleaning and storage from the native flora and began cultivating. Since then, Source: Registrar General of India, New Delhi, 2001 women have played and continue to play a key role in crop production, livestock production, horticulture, post harvest Table 2: Types of health hazards faced by farm women operations, agro/ social forestry, fisheries, etc. Activities Health hazards reported (%) Significance Farm activities Women’s contribution to agriculture, whether it is in Transplanting 50 Harvesting 26.5 subsistence farming or commercial agriculture, when Post harvest activities measured in number of tasks performed and time spent, is Threshing 50 greater than men.