Ans. In India, agriculture employs around 80% of rural women. Empowering and mainstreaming rural women’s labour in agriculture can result in a paradigm shift towards economic progress. It will not only enhance food and nutrition security but also contribute significantly to reducing poverty and hunger. Such efforts serve as a win-win strategy for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

National statistics clearly indicate that India’s agri-food systems—including agriculture, livestock rearing, agroforestry, and fisheries—depend heavily on both the paid and unpaid labour of women. However, women's productivity is often hampered due to several institutional and systemic challenges. These include:

Limited access to time-saving tools and mechanisation.
Constraints in accessing productive resources like land and credit.
Lack of access to inputs, extension services, and scientific knowledge.
Restrictions on active participation in decision-making processes.

Challenges Faced by Women in Agriculture

Women farmers in India face a variety of structural and socio-economic challenges, such as:

Time-Consuming and Physically Demanding Tasks: Women are predominantly engaged in manual and laborious work such as weeding, threshing, de-hulling, and pulverising, which limits their efficiency and income potential.
Marginalisation in Fisheries and Trade: The growing dominance of large buyers and export traders has led to the marginalisation of small-scale women fish vendors and auctioneers, reducing their market visibility and bargaining power.
Invisibility of Labour: Women are often relegated to labour-intensive, low-paying, and unrecognised roles. Despite their significant contribution, most technological innovations in agriculture have been designed primarily for men’s roles, leaving women excluded from mechanisation and efficiency gains.

Government Measures for Empowering Women Farmers

To address these disparities and promote women’s empowerment in agriculture, the government has launched several schemes and initiatives. These include:

Centrally Sponsored Scheme – Support to States Extension Programme for Extension Reforms:
1. Aims to address gender concerns in agriculture.
2. At least 30% of resources are earmarked specifically for projects and activities targeting women farmers and extension personnel.
Sub-Mission on Seed and Planting Material (SMSP):
1. Under the Seed Village Programme and Quality Control Arrangement of Seeds, training is provided equally to women farmers.
2. States are encouraged to allocate adequate financial resources for women participants.
National Food Security Mission (NFSM):
1. Implemented in 28 states.
2. 30% of total funds are allocated to benefit women farmers, promoting inclusive growth in the sector.
National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm (NMOOP):
1. Ensures that 30% of the budget is reserved for women farmers and beneficiaries.
National Horticulture Mission:
1. Facilitates the formation of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) for women.
2. Provides access to farm inputs, technological assistance, and extension support, empowering them to achieve economic self-reliance.

As India celebrates the 75th anniversary of independence through the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, the government is actively promoting the mission of “Empowered Women – Empowered Nation”.

The country is witnessing a shift toward holistic development of women, ensuring socioeconomic and health security through targeted policies and interventions. Since independence, various flagship programmes and missions have been rolled out to uplift rural women, enhancing their economic participation and social status.

Technological interventions, combined with strong institutional support, can play a transformative role in bridging gender gaps, improving agricultural productivity, and ensuring sustainable rural livelihoods across India.

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