Women Empowerment: Contribution of women in several agricultural activities
Women comprise a significant share of the labor
force engaged in agriculture as farm laborers, producers, distributors,
marketers and agricultural entrepreneurs. In Latin America 20%, in Asia 30-60% and in Sub-Saharan Africa, 50-75% of the
Agricultural labor force is supplied by women. However they do not enjoy the
same rights and privileges as their male counterparts. It is estimated that
women are responsible for 70% of actual farm work and constitute up to 60% of
the farming population. In vegetable cultivation women contribute from seed
sowing to marketing and post-harvest operation like their male counterparts. In
many cases women force are better options than men like nursery raising, hand
pollination of pointed gourd etc.
Table shows the result of a study conducted
in rural Rajasthan to quantify the contribution of women in several farm
activities in India .
Percentage
contribution of farm women in several agricultural activities
Farm Activities
|
Percent
|
Ploughing
of field
|
2.0
|
Cleaning
of field
|
85.0
|
Levelling
of field
|
5.0
|
Raising
of nursery for seedling
(Okra,
chilli, tomato, pea)
|
55.0
|
Sowing
|
25.5
|
Transplanting
|
20.5
|
Manure
application
|
32.5
|
Fertilizer
application
|
1.0
|
Weeding
|
75.5
|
Thinning
|
60.5
|
Gap
filling
|
80.5
|
Irrigation
|
26.0
|
Plant
protection measure
(Insecticide,
pesticide use)
|
0.0
|
Cutting
|
100.0
|
Picking
|
100.0
|
Shifting
production to threshing floor
|
89.5
|
Threshing
|
50.0
|
Winnowing
|
95.0
|
Drying
of grain
|
100.0
|
Cleaning
of grain
|
100.0
|
Grading
|
90.0
|
Storage
|
100.0
|
Processing
|
100.0
|
Source: Chayal et al 2010
Not only agricultural activities, women have
to reconcile their work in the fields with domestic and child-care
responsibilities. Women’s position is complicated further because their work in
agriculture is often done on informal basis-through part-time or informal labor arrangements and therefore goes largely unrecognized. Providing them
with educational and technical support, can be an effective approach to
increase the productivity of women and fight hunger and poverty. Empowerment of
women through better access to economical assets and decision making process
will not only give proper nourishment of the children and family members but
will also secure a sustainable growth to the small farming families.
Article
Source: Kurukshetra May 2010
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