Women Potential Remains Under-leveraged in Agriculture

General Studies Paper-3

Context

• Women-led development has been recognised as a structural game-changer for advancing India’s economic ambitions, yet its full potential remains under-leveraged.

Current Scenario

• Agriculture: It is a backbone of India’s economy & largest employer of women.
• Workforce shift: Rural men are moving to non-farm jobs leading to women replacing them in agriculture.
• Rise in women’s participation:
  • Employment in agriculture surged by 135% in a decade.
  • Women now account for 42% of the agricultural workforce.
  • 2 in 3 working women are engaged in agriculture.
• Economic Impact: Women’s greater participation has not translated into higher income for the economy, as agriculture’s share of the national GVA fell from 15.3% in 2017-18 to 14.4% in 2024-25.

Challenges Faced by Women in Agriculture

• Unpaid Labour: Nearly half of the women in agriculture are unpaid family workers, with their numbers jumping 2.5 times from 23.6 million to 59.1 million in just eight years.
  • In States such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, more than 80% of women workers are in agriculture, and over half of them receive no wages.
• Systemic Inequities: Women as farmers, own only 13-14% of land holdings, and earn 20-30% less than men for equivalent work.
  • Asset ownership, decision-making power, and access to credit and government support remain male-dominated, trapping women in low-value activities.
• Digital Divide: Barriers in digital literacy, language, affordability of devices limits the participation in modern agri-markets.

Emerging Opportunities

• Global Trade: The India-U.K. Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is projected to boost Indian agricultural exports by 20% within three years, granting duty-free access to over 95% of agricultural and processed food products.
  • Many of these export-oriented value chains employ a significant share of women.
  • If FTA-embedded provisions for women, such as training, credit access, and market linkages, are catalysed, it could enable women’s transition from farm labourers to income-generating entrepreneurs.
• High-Value Segments: With global demand rising for organic products and superfoods, India’s value chains for tea, spices, millets and certified organic produce are poised for expansion — sectors where women are already strongly represented.
  • Geographical Indications, branding initiatives, and support for meeting export standards can help women producers shift from subsistence farming toward premium, value-added product markets.

Government Initiatives for Women in Agriculture

• Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP): Under National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), supports women farmers in sustainable agriculture, livestock, and NTFP (non-timber forest produce).
• Joint Land Titles: States encouraged to issue land pattas in joint names of husband and wife.
• Priority Sector Lending (PSL): Mandates credit flow to women farmers.
• Rural women SHGs & FPOs: Supported through NABARD and DAY-NRLM.
• Agri-Clinics & Agri-Business Centres (ACABC): Special provisions for women agri-entrepreneurs.
• Maternity Benefits & Health Schemes: Support women farmers’ welfare indirectly.
• Support for Women FPOs: Encouraged under the 10,000 FPOs Scheme (2020) with special provision for women-led groups.
• GI Tags, Branding, and Export Facilitation: Helps women producers in spices, tea, millets, organic produce.

Way Ahead

• Without targeted measures, women risk being excluded from the export-led opportunities emerging in Indian agriculture.
• To transform women’s role in agriculture, land and labour reforms are equally vital.
• Policies must recognise women as independent farmers by promoting joint or individual land ownership, which in turn strengthens their eligibility for credit, insurance, and institutional support.