Extent of women’s participation in agriculture and factors influencing it: Evidence from Haryana, India

Abstract

The study examines the extent of women's participation in activities such as harvesting of wheat and mustard and examining the factors influencing their involvement. A total of 100 women farmers were surveyed from one village of Hisar district in Haryana to understand their demographic, educational, and economic profiles, as well as their engagement in key agricultural tasks such as harvesting mustard, wheat, and cutting fodder crops. The findings revealed that more than half (51%) of the respondents were aged between 35-45 years, with 39% being illiterate and only 13% having a graduate degree or diploma. A significant portion (65%) of women were farmers, while 35% were labourers. Nuclear family types predominated (58%), and most families (59%) were small, with 1-4 members. Marginal landholding (below 2.5 acres) was common, with 53% of respondents falling into this category. In terms of agricultural activity, 69% of women worked more than 5 hours per day, with 81% using the traditional Aari drati sickle. Harvesting mustard and wheat were the most time-intensive activities, with 57.4% of women spending over 5 hours daily harvesting mustard. The correlation analysis indicated a significant inverse relationship between education level and participation in agricultural activities (r = -0.209), suggesting that higher education levels led to reduced involvement in farming. Conversely, a positive correlation was found between time spent in agricultural activities and the harvesting of mustard and wheat, with r-values of 0.281 and 0.357, respectively. The results highlights the significant role of women in Haryana's agricultural sector and emphasize the need to improve the sickle design with appropriate measurements to enhance and optimize their participation in farming activities without experiencing much drudgery.