MAINS 2014
GS1
10 marks
Discuss the various economic and socio-cultural forces that are driving increasing feminization of agriculture in India.
WRITE IN
7 min
150 words
What the examiner wants
Discuss the economic and socio-cultural forces making Indian agriculture increasingly dependent on women.
DiscussExplain the different sides of the issue, use evidence, and finish with a balanced view.
Demand-wise check
- 1Economic forces: male out-migration to cities, distress and low farm income, rise of non-farm rural jobs for men, mechanisation displacing men from some tasks, low female wages≈30 words
- 2Socio-cultural forces: restricted mobility of women, low education and skills for non-farm work, care work keeping women near home, norms favouring men in urban jobs≈30 words
- 3Nature of feminisation: more labourers than owners; women lack land titles, credit, extension services≈30 words
- 4Implications and policy: land rights, women-friendly tools, Mahila Kisan schemes, SHG/FPO linkages≈30 words
Open in about 20 words and close in about 20.
Answer plan
Define feminisationEconomic driversSocio-cultural drivers'feminisation of labour, not ownership'Measures
Where marks usually go
- Mixing up economic and socio-cultural forces instead of separating them
- Ignoring that women are mostly labourers without ownership
Draw this
- Flowchart: male migration → women take farm roles → no land title → no credit/insurance
Value addition
- ReportEconomic Survey 2017-18 noted 'feminisation of the agriculture sector' due to rural-to-urban male migration.Economic Survey 2017-18
- DataWomen held only about 14% of operational holdings in the Agriculture Census 2015-16.Agriculture Census 2015-16
- SchemeMahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (2011) under NRLM builds skills of women farmers.MoRD, 2011
Next: plan for one minute, write it in 7 minutes, then get it checked.