India’s agricultural sector formally employs 80 to 100 million women (32.8% women against 81.1% men), since a big majority of women remain invisible farm worker preparing the land, selecting seeds, preparing and sowing to transplanting the seedlings, applying manure/fertilizers/pesticides and then harvesting, winnowing and threshing, women work harder and longer than male farmers. Women are more engaged and mostly informally in the sub- sectors like animal husbandry, fisheries and vegetable cultivation which almost solely survive on women. But we don’t see many women in training or capacity building programmes, bank loans, farmers’ educational visits, farm exhibitions unless these programmes are meant or mandated exclusively for women farmers. Though of late in India, women focused extension training programmes are being emphasized but when these are common for men and women, it is men who prefer to attend meetings & trainings etc. themselves than sending women from the households. In our study, we found the information level of women in animal husbandry remains low as their access to information sources, mass media, visits to credit, veterinary and input related institutions remain limited. Significant differences in information level of women and men livestock owners were observed even though the participation of women in livestock training programmes is on the rise. Suitable efforts are needed in modification of mode of training, content and training methodologies owing to differential training requirements of women farmers.
It’s due to poor formal participation of women in programmes organized by formal institutions, they miss the opportunity to improve not only their awareness, knowledge and skill base in farming but also lack the opportunities to know about improved nutritional practices for better health of them and their families. Many reports have suggested women in India are anemic and have associated problems arising out of malnutrition. Further, mother’s education, according to the NFHS, is highly correlated with the level of malnutrition among children. Children of illiterate mothers are twice as likely to be undernourished or stunted as children whose mothers have completed at least high school. The differentials are even larger when severely undernourished children are considered. Children of illiterate mothers are three times as likely to be severely undernourished as children of mothers with at least a high school education. The Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services in India have to take note of this neglected dimension in their strategies. It is equally important to skill farm women on agricultural practices and their nutrition needs as well.
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博士 Mahesh Chander