Voices from the field: Rural women’s opinion on dairy farming in Hisar district

Abstract

Dairy farming plays a critical role in rural livelihoods and women’s empowerment in India; however, understanding women’s opinion is essential for designing effective interventions. The study attempted to investigate rural women's opinions towards dairy farming. This study was conducted in Haryana state and Hisar district was selected purposively. Because of largest producer of milk in the state. Out of nine blocks of Hisar district, two blocks Hisar-I and Hisar-II were selected randomly. Shikarpur and Balawas villages from Hisar-I block and Bir and Kajla from Hisar-II block were selected randomly for this study. Total 120 dairy farm rural women i.e. 30 from each of the selected village, constitute the sample for present study. Data were gathered using a structured interview schedule and opinions were measured using 16 dichotomous statements. The findings revealed that the majority of respondents had a medium level of opinion towards dairy farming. The absence of respondents in the lowest level indicates that dairy farming is typically regarded positively among rural women in this study area. This indicates a favourable opinion of dairy farming as an economical means of income and socio-economic empowerment. The study emphasises the importance of increasing extension services, capacity-building programmes and institutional support in improving women's opinions and participation in dairy farming. The findings are useful for policymakers and development agencies attempting to promote gender-inclusive development.