Tracking Women in Agriculture through Recent Census Data in India

Abstract

This paper presents a first-step temporal investigation of women’s participation in agriculture into this question from secondary sources, that is, from four sets of occupational data in Indian Census– 1981, 1991, 2001 and 2011. It shows that a mere increase in numbers/time/activity of women in the agricultural field is not appropriate definition of feminization of agriculture. Feminization of agriculture, as it is occurring in India, is adding to the already heavy work burden of most rural women and thereby further undermining their well-being.