Gender Disparities in Indian Agriculture: Assessing the Feminisation Phenomenon

This chapter examines the gender disparities in Indian agriculture with a special focus on the feminisation phenomenon. The term “feminisation of agriculture” refers to how labour markets are driving males out of agriculture and increasing the involvement of women. The feminisation of agriculture has significant implications for women’s empowerment. There are two forms of feminisation of agriculture – limited and expanded – and the extent to which India is moving towards the feminisation of agriculture needs to be evaluated. In India, most women are employed in the agricultural sector (78% of all employed women are involved in agriculture). India has achieved the feminisation of agriculture, specifically in the limited sense known as the feminisation of agricultural labour. However, India is still far from achieving the feminisation of agriculture that is broadly known as managerial feminisation or feminisation of farm management. Women face significant discrimination regarding access to land and other resources, extension services, and agricultural information. As women enjoy limited land ownership or other agricultural assets, they are often refused credit for farming purposes. The gender disparity in agricultural wages continues to persist, with women receiving less than the average agricultural wages for casual labour jobs, and the demand for their presence in agricultural activities heavily depends on male participation. In the agricultural decision-making process, women’s active participation is also dependent on their male counterparts. In the absence of males, women are more likely to take the lead in agricultural decision-making. This suggests that women have limited freedom with respect to their participation in agricultural activities, raising concerns that the sustainability of agriculture might be compromised.