Journal of  Ravishankar University  Vol. 01 No. A  (Science) 1988   pp. 123-135  ISSN  0970 5910

Labour Force Participation Of  Women  In Agriculture

A Kalaimathi

Departmentof Economics, Mother Terasa-Women's University, Kodaikanal 624102

MS received 31 March 88           received  8 July 88

Abstract: Agriculture is the largest industry in the country contributing to the source of  livelihood for over 70 percent of the population. According to the census of 1971, 80-1 percent of women workers are found in agriculture. In rural areas they constitute  87 percent of the female work force women participatein all the agricultural operations. Just like general Agricultural labourer, women agricultural labourers are also divided into female cultivators,  female  agricultural labourers  and other workers.  Again female agricultural labourers are further subdivided into permanent labour and casual labour. The condition of women in agricultural sector remained the same over a long period of time without much change in their style.In past women in agricultural sector were either labourers or they will be assisting their husbands in some agricultural operation. In contrast, in modem days in addition to the various agricultural operation done by them, women are managing large farms of many acres by themselves, women were consulted regularly relating to  many aspects of agricultural marketing. It is also observed that a significant percentage of these jobs are 'manned' by women drawn from lower caste and lower class women, lo ignorance, traditional band attitudes, illiteracy, lack of skills, seasonal nature of employment, heavy physical work of different types, long hours of work with limited payn:ient, discrimination in wage structure of man and women, lack of job security, lack of comprehensive legislations of these workers, competition in employment and the resultant deprival of real wage, lack of minimum facilities at the work place, illtreatment, migration and disintegration of family bondage and alienation etc. are the main problems faced by women worker in agriculture. It  is important to ensure that technological changes  in agriculture  also increases. Women's welfare not only in terms of their employment, but income, health and nutrition as well. It is necessary        to adopt both a 'farming system approaches' to agricultural development as well as 'target group planning approach' where the individual rather than the household are the target along with measures to facilitate access to land input, credit and extension services to women. In this context, the incorporation of women as a specific group in planning exercises need to be noted. It should not be forgotten that a concerned approach to rural development is necessary.

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