Women in Rainfed Farming

Contents: 1. Role and importance of women involvement. 2. Research scenario. 3. Method of determining women involvement. 4. Differential participation and decision making. 5. Relevance of the women involvement. 6. Conclusion. 7. Bibliography.

Women make significant contributions to the agricultural and rural economies in most of developing countries. Their roles vary considerably between and within regions and are changing rapidly in many parts of the world, where economic and social forces are transforming the agricultural sector. Agriculture needs manpower, if the manpower split into gender-wise, amazing fact is that the women contribution is greater or equal to men.

Empirical evidences shows that rural women play key roles in agriculture sector production by working with full passion in production of crops right from the soil preparation till postharvest activities. Comprehensive data show that women comprise about 43 percent of the agricultural labor force globally and in developing countries. Empowering women means making a stronger society which in turn would result into reducing the time lag between technology acceptance and its application at the farmer fields for increasing production, productivity and net farm income on sustainability basis.