The Hindu, Sep 30, 2025

Key Arguments

1. Rising Female Participation in Agriculture
   ○ Women form a growing share of India’s agricultural workforce.
   ○ However, much of this participation is unpaid family labour, especially in rural households.

2. Structural Gender Inequality
   ○ Women remain underrepresented in land ownership, access to credit, technology, and markets.
   ○ Patriarchal norms and systemic exclusion keep women in low-income, unpaid roles.

3. Need for Inclusive Reforms
   ○ Policies like National Food Security Mission, PM-KISAN, and digital platforms can empower women if designed with gender sensitivity.
   ○ Access to digital tools, skilling, market linkages, and Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) is crucial.

4. Global Trade & Technology as Enablers
   ○ Integration into global value chains, mechanisation, and skill-based jobs can reduce gender gaps.
   ○ Export-oriented crop sectors (fruits, vegetables, floriculture, shrimp) show higher female participation.

5. Data-Backed Evidence
   ○ Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) shows 50% of women in agriculture remain unpaid.
   ○ States like Rajasthan, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh report highest levels of unpaid female labour.

Author’s Stance

● Pro-reform, pro-women empowerment stance.
● Acknowledges rising participation but stresses it does not translate into economic independence.
● Argues that without land reforms, technology adoption, and labour rights, women will remain marginalised.

Possible Biases

● Optimism bias – Heavy focus on policy potential and digital tools, less on ground realities like caste and patriarchal resistance.
● Urban-policy lens – Structured reforms highlighted, but grassroots/community practices underplayed.
● Selective emphasis – Success stories (FPOs, digital platforms) stressed, failures in crop insurance/land titling less discussed.

Pros

● Brings attention to a critical socio-economic issue often ignored.
● Backed with statistical data (PLFS) for credibility.
● Connects gender issues with trade, technology, and reforms for a holistic view.

Cons

● No discussion on intersectionality (caste, class, region).
● Ignores unpaid care work, which worsens exploitation.
● No long-term trend analysis of women’s unpaid agricultural labour.

Policy Implications

1. GS Paper I (Society):
○ Women’s empowerment and role of social norms.
○ Tackling structural gender inequality in economic roles.

2. GS Paper II (Governance & Social Justice):
○ Gender-sensitive evaluation of schemes like PM-KISAN and SHG promotion.
○ Digital financial inclusion and access to welfare schemes.

3. GS Paper III (Agriculture & Economy):
○ Land reforms, crop diversification, and FPO strengthening.
○ Improving access to credit, crop insurance, and agri-value chains.

4. GS Paper IV (Ethics):
○ Justice and dignity of labour.
○ Ethical recognition of unpaid women’s work.

Real-World Impact

● Rising participation without wages entrenches invisible labour exploitation.
● Lack of land rights reduces women’s decision-making power in farming.
● Without reforms, rural India risks a low productivity–high inequality trap.

Balanced Summary and Future Perspectives

Women form a growing share of India’s agricultural workforce, but nearly half remain unpaid, reflecting structural inequities in land, finance, and recognition of labour. While schemes and digital tools create opportunities, patriarchal norms, unpaid care work, and lack of asset ownership continue to restrict empowerment.

Future Outlook:
● Land & property rights reforms for women’s ownership of assets.
● Gender-sensitive redesign of schemes like PM-KISAN and crop insurance.
● Expansion of FPOs and SHGs for market integration.
● Skill development in mechanisation and agri-tech to prevent confinement to low-value roles.
● Awareness campaigns and legal safeguards to recognise unpaid work and ensure compensation.