Women in Indian Agriculture
Scale and Nature of Contribution
Women constitute an estimated 80% of rural agricultural workers and perform approximately 70% of total farm labour activities. Yet they remain largely invisible in formal ownership and decision-making — less than 13% of agricultural land is owned by women. The gender gap manifests most acutely in access to credit, extension services, machinery, and inputs. Women's participation is highest in labour-intensive tasks (transplanting, weeding, harvesting) that are least mechanised, exposing them to physical drudgery while men handle machinery and market transactions.
- Women account for 75% of total crop production labour and nearly 95% of labour in livestock and allied sectors.
- Only 12.8% of operational farm holdings are owned/operated by women (Agriculture Census data).
- Under Periodic Labour Force Survey data, 64.3% of rural female workers are engaged in agriculture.
- The female-to-male ratio in agricultural workforce has been rising as male out-migration to cities continues.
● Tracked since March 01, 2026 · last seen March 15, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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