Women in Agriculture India: Invisible Labour and Rural Gender Gap in Farming Sector
26 March 2026
Women in Agriculture: Invisible Labour and Rural Gender Gap in Farming Sector
Women in Agriculture India play a crucial role in sustaining rural livelihoods, yet their contribution remains largely invisible due to poor data capture, unpaid labour, and persistent gender wage gaps. Despite increasing workforce participation, women continue to face limited land ownership, low wages, and lack of formal recognition in the agricultural economy.
Why in the News?
The issue of women’s role in agriculture has gained attention around
International Women’s Day 2026
.
Studies and surveys show that
women sustain India’s farming economy
, but their work is
often unpaid, poorly recorded, and poorly paid
.
Despite a rise in women’s work participation in rural areas,
many women remain invisible in official labour statistics
.
What are the Key Highlights?
Difficulty in counting women workers
Official labour surveys such as the
Periodic Labour Force Survey
fail to capture women’s work accurately.
Women often perform
multiple tasks in a day
, such as:
Child care
Feeding animals
Working on farms
Because this work is
unpaid, seasonal, or done at home
, many women do not report themselves as “workers”.
Rise in women’s work participation
Rural female workforce participation increased from
35% in 2011–12 to 46.5% in 2023–24
.
However, this level is still
lower than the global average of 57–63%
according to the
International Labour Organization
.
Increase in self-employment
A large number of women workers are classified as
self-employed
.
Share of self-employed rural women workers:
60% in 2011–12
73% in 2023–24
This rise mainly reflects
lack of wage employment opportunities
.
Women’s presence in agriculture
In
2023–24
, about
117.6 million women
were working in agriculture.
This includes:
95.1 million self-employed women
21.7 million hired workers
0.8 million regular workers
The male workforce in agriculture was
127.5 million
.
Women in Agriculture and crop cultivation
Village studies by the
Foundation for Agrarian Studies
show:
Women provide
about one-third of family labour
in agriculture.
In some villages of
Tamil Nadu
, women contributed
more than half of the total labour
.
Women’s role in livestock rearing
Livestock is one of the
fastest growing sectors in agriculture
.
Women perform most tasks such as:
Feeding animals
Cleaning sheds
Milking cattle
Around
40 million rural households own milch animals
, meaning
millions of women are engaged in livestock work
.
Women in agricultural wage labour
Mechanisation has reduced the demand for labour in agriculture.
Women’s share in hired agricultural labour varies widely.
In many villages, women workers still form
more than one-third of hired labour
.
Low wages for women workers
Women agricultural labourers earned
less than ₹300 per day
in many villages.
According to the
Labour Bureau
, the
average daily wage for women agricultural workers in November 2025 was ₹384
.
Wages differ across states.
The highest wages were in
Kerala
at about
₹646 per day
.
Large gender wage gap
In some areas, women earn
less than half of male wages
.
In other regions, wages are lower overall but the gender gap is slightly smaller.
Low earnings from livestock and farming
Earnings from livestock work can be
around ₹100 per day
, which is much lower than agricultural wages.
Income from crop production is also low.
In some villages, total annual farm income is
less than ₹16,000–₹24,000
.
Limited land ownership
Only
about 10% of rural women own land
.
Lack of land ownership limits their economic independence.
What is the Significance?
Women are the Backbone of Agriculture
Women now form
around half of India’s agricultural workforce
.
Many farming activities depend heavily on women’s labour.
Without women workers,
farm production would decline significantly
.
Contribution to Food Security
Women contribute to:
Crop cultivation
Livestock rearing
Poultry and dairy production
Their work helps
maintain stable food production in rural India
.
Support to Rural Household Economy
Women’s labour increases
household income and livelihood security
.
Their work in livestock and farming supports
daily household consumption
.
Growth of Allied Agricultural Activities
Women play a major role in sectors such as:
Dairy
Poultry
Small livestock farming
These sectors are
important for rural economic diversification
.
Importance for Gender Equality
Recognising women farmers is essential for:
Equal wages
Social protection
Economic empowerment
Proper recognition can improve
women’s rights and status in society
.
Challenges
Invisibility of Women’s Work
Much of women’s agricultural work is
unpaid and informal
.
Official surveys fail to capture:
Family labour
Seasonal work
Household-based farming activities.
High Dependence on Self-Employment
Most women are
self-employed farmers or helpers
.
This indicates
lack of stable wage employment
.
Gender Wage Gap
Women workers often receive
lower wages than men for the same work
.
Wage inequality remains widespread in agriculture.
Low Earnings and Income Insecurity
Earnings from:
Crop production
Livestock work
are
very low and unstable
.
Limited Land Ownership
Only a small percentage of women
own agricultural land
.
Without land ownership, women have:
Less decision-making power
Limited access to credit and government schemes.
Decline in Agricultural Labour Demand
Mechanisation has reduced demand for labour.
Women workers are often
the first to lose employment opportunities
.
Way Forward
Improve Data Collection
Labour surveys should be improved to
capture unpaid and informal work
.
Gender-disaggregated data should be collected for:
Family labour
Livestock work
Farm management activities.
Recognise Women as Farmers
Women must be
officially recognised as farmers
, not only as helpers.
This will help them access:
Government schemes
Training programs
Agricultural subsidies.
Ensure Equal Wages
Governments must enforce
equal pay for equal work
.
Monitoring of agricultural wage payments should be strengthened.
Expand Rural Employment Opportunities
More
non-farm and rural employment opportunities
should be created.
This will reduce excessive dependence on agriculture.
Increase Women’s Land Ownership
Policies should encourage
joint land titles and inheritance rights for women
.
Land ownership improves:
Financial security
Access to institutional credit.
Provide Skill Development and Support
Women farmers should receive training in:
Modern farming techniques
Dairy and livestock management
Market access and value addition.
Conclusion
Women play a central role in India’s rural economy and agriculture, yet their labour remains undervalued and poorly recognised. Improving data collection, ensuring fair wages, expanding rights to land and resources, and strengthening institutional support are essential steps to create a more inclusive and sustainable agricultural system. Recognising and empowering women farmers will strengthen rural livelihoods and contribute to long-term agricultural development.
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