Women in Agriculture India

The role of Women in Agriculture in India has been gaining attention, especially with the latest Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2023-24 highlighting a significant increase in female participation.

Today, women constitute over 42% of India’s agricultural workforce, marking a 135% rise in the past decade. Despite this growth, nearly half of these women remain unpaid family workers, reflecting deep-rooted gender disparities in farm employment.

Status of Women in Agriculture Across India

The feminisation of agriculture is a notable trend in rural India. Two out of three rural women are engaged in agriculture, yet the prevalence of unpaid female labor remains high. Between 2017-18 and 2024-25, the number of unpaid women workers increased from 23.6 million to 59.1 million.

Regional concentration shows that states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have over 80% of women workers in agriculture, but more than half remain unpaid. This highlights the urgent need for women's empowerment in rural economies.

Government initiatives such as the Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana, Kisan Credit Cards, and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) aim to enhance the skills of women farmers, provide access to credit, and promote sustainable agriculture. These programs also strengthen the female agricultural workforce and improve decision-making opportunities for women in local farmer cooperatives.

Factors Leading to the Feminisation of Agriculture in India

Male Out-Migration: Many men migrate to cities or move to more lucrative rural sectors like construction, services, and transport. This leaves women farmers to manage family farms, increasing the share of women in agriculture in India.
Growth of Contract Farming: Labor-intensive sectors such as floriculture, horticulture, and tea/coffee plantations prefer female labor, valuing their skill, reliability, and willingness to accept lower wages.
Patriarchal Norms: Society often expects women to manage household responsibilities alongside light farm work, treating their labor as part of domestic chores.
Limited Alternative Opportunities: Lower literacy, restricted mobility, and social norms limit the ability of women to access outside farming, making agriculture a primary livelihood.

Systemic Barriers Limiting Women’s Progress (Mnemonic: WOMEN)

W – Wage Discrimination: Women earn 20-30% less than men, highlighting gender disparity in agricultural issues.
O – Omission from Decision-Making: Female agricultural workers are often excluded from key decisions on seeds, pesticides, and sustainable practices. Their opinions are overlooked in Gram Panchayats and farmer cooperatives.
M – Machinery and Tool Mismatch: Farm equipment is designed for men, restricting women’s ability to operate machinery efficiently.
E – Entrenched Domestic Double Burden: Time poverty due to household chores limits access to markets, skill development, and community participation.
N – Negation of Land and Identity Rights: Women hold only 13-14% of land ownership, limiting access to credit, insurance, and government schemes.

Measures to Empower Women Farmers (Mnemonic: GROW)

G – Guarantee Market Access: Focus on women-intensive sectors like tea, spices, and dairy under Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). Women can leverage traditional knowledge to export premium products such as organic and GI-tagged goods.
R – Resource Rights and Reforms: Promote joint or individual land ownership to improve access to credit and insurance. Scale women-led Farmer-Producer Organizations' (FPOs) and Self-Help Groups' agriculture initiatives to achieve economies of scale.
O – Open Digital Gateways: Platforms like e-NAM, BHASHINI, Jugalbandi, and Digital Sakhi improve financial literacy and digital access for women in agriculture.
W – Well-being and Social Support: Provide creche facilities, clean energy, and water supply near farms to reduce time poverty. Media campaigns can brand women farmers as role models, encouraging gender equality in agriculture.

Final Thoughts

Women in Agriculture India play a crucial role in the country’s rural economy, making up over 42% of the agricultural workforce. Despite their growing participation, nearly half of them remain unpaid family workers, reflecting deep-rooted gender disparities.

States like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have a high concentration of women farmers, yet many lack access to land, credit, and decision-making opportunities. Factors such as male out-migration, contract farming, and societal norms have contributed to the feminisation of agriculture.

Women face multiple barriers, including wage discrimination, limited access to machinery, domestic responsibilities, and the negation of land rights. Government initiatives like Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana, Self-Help Groups, and digital platforms aim to empower women farmers, enhance their skills, and improve access to markets.