Agricultural Women Workers in Varying Agricultural Activities of Mewat District: A Household Level Analysis

Abstract

Women play a significant role in agricultural development and its related fields. Their involvement differs with the nature and variations in agro-production systems. In the broader sense, women’s contribution in socio-economic development is two fold i.e. in the home and outside the home. Women’s participation exhibits certain unique features across the country. They are workers, labourers, cultivators and producers besides performing various activities of the household that are taken as unproductive. The actual
picture, however, of the women’s contribution and work for their family is not recognized. Women agriculture labourers and cultivators play an important role in agriculture as associates of a farmer’s family. Women’s role in agriculture has not brought to light this aspect and this is a major lacuna. An attempt has been made in this paper to evaluate women’s participation in agricultural activities at the micro level by considering the entire Mewat district as a case study. The study also makes it clear that the women workers have contributed a lot in farm operations but their role in decision making seems nothing. The research findings suggest that women workers should be given equal importance to male workers in society.