Women Power India’s Farms, But Half Work for Free, New Survey Finds

NEW DELHI, October 3, 2025 – A silent revolution is reshaping India’s farmlands, but it is one of deep disparity. According to the latest Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for 2023-24, women now constitute over 42% of the nation’s agricultural workforce—a staggering 135% increase in the last decade. Yet, in a stark reflection of deep-rooted gender inequality, nearly half of these women remain unpaid for their labour.

The report highlights that the number of unpaid women family workers in agriculture has more than doubled in eight years, soaring from 23.6 million in 2017-18 to a projected 59.1 million by 2025. This “feminisation of agriculture” reveals a troubling paradox: as women’s roles on the farm become more critical, their economic recognition remains tragically stagnant.

“We are witnessing a structural shift where men are migrating to cities for more lucrative jobs in construction or services, leaving women to manage the family farms,” explained Dr. Sunita Sharma, a rural economist at the Institute for Social Studies. “This isn’t a choice but a necessity. Society then frames this essential labour as an extension of their household duties, rendering it invisible and unpaid.”

This phenomenon is particularly acute in states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, where over 80% of women workers are engaged in agriculture, with more than half of them receiving no wages.

Systemic Barriers Entrench Disparity

Despite their growing numbers, women farmers face systemic barriers that prevent them from reaping the rewards of their work. The challenges are so pervasive that experts often summarize them with the acronym WOMEN:

• Wage Discrimination is rampant, with women earning 20-30% less than their male counterparts for the same work.

• Omission from Decision-Making is standard practice. With agricultural extension officers being predominantly male, women are often excluded from critical knowledge about seeds, technology, and sustainable practices.

• Machinery and Tool Mismatch remains a physical barrier, as most farm equipment is designed for male physiques, leaving women untrained and unequipped.

• Entrenched Domestic Double Burden, combining farm labour with all household chores and childcare, creates severe time poverty, limiting their access to markets and training.

• Negation of Land and Identity Rights is perhaps the most critical hurdle. With women owning only 13-14% of land holdings, they are legally viewed as “cultivators” rather than “farmers.” This blocks their access to credit, insurance, and government schemes like the Kisan Credit Card, which are often tied to land titles.

Paving a Path to Empowerment

The government has launched several initiatives, such as the Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana and support for Self-Help Groups (SHGs), to provide skill development and access to formal credit. However, experts argue that a more comprehensive approach is needed, encapsulated by the mnemonic GROW:

• Guarantee Market Access by focusing on women-intensive export sectors like tea, spices, and dairy in upcoming Free Trade Agreements, such as the one being negotiated with the UK.

• Resource Rights and Reforms must be prioritized, promoting joint or individual land titles for women and scaling up successful women-led Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs).

• Open Digital Gateways by expanding access to platforms like e-NAM and leveraging voice-first AI tools like BHASHINI to overcome literacy barriers.

• Well-being and Social Support, including providing creche facilities near farms and clean energy, can reduce time poverty, while media campaigns can rebrand women farmers as the role models they are.

Ultimately, for India to truly harness the potential of its feminising agricultural sector, the focus must shift from merely recognizing women’s labour to empowering them as independent economic agents. Dismantling the barriers to land ownership, fair wages, and decision-making is not just a matter of equity, but a necessity for inclusive national growth.

Mains: 

Q. Discuss the various economic and socio-cultural forces that are driving increasing feminization of agriculture in India. (2014)