With men migrating to cities for better jobs, women are playing a critical role in farming in recent times. What are the key issues created by this phenomenon? Discuss the lapses in policy approach while suggesting remedial measures.

Women have made significant contributions to agriculture in India. After implementation of economic reforms in 1991 and failure of agriculture due to uncertainty in rainfall, Men from rural areas started migrating to cities for better jobs. This makes women to engage in Agriculture independently. This rural transformation makes women to play critical role in farming. Now they are participating in farms as managers and decision-makers but they face many odds like

• Women are not given due recognition as farmers which hampers their ability to access productive input.
• Though they have greater work load in agriculture, Women farmers in India are facing a problem of land rights. There rights on land are mostly insecure.
• Government also not recognising women farmers. In Land records, government labeled women as cultivators rather than farmers which means they are denied loans, insurance and other state benefits.

Steps to be taken:

• Attitudes regarding women’s roles in agriculture must change
• Access to physical and financial resources need to increase for women farmers.
• National agricultural policies are silent about women farmers. A comprehensive policy is needed that laid more emphasis on women farmers and the policy would create a favorable ecosystem for women engaged in farming by ensuring greater access to physical and financial resources.
• The draft bill about women rights on land proposed by MS Swami Nathan in 2011 need to be passed by legislature.
• Scientific activities need to be carried out to make agricultural equipment’s that will be suitable for women.