International Women’s Day 2026, themed “Rights. Justice. Action.”, coincides with the International Year of the Woman Farmer, highlighting the significance of empowerment of women farmers.
- 11.72% of total operated area in India was operated by female operational holders. (Agriculture Census 2015-16)
Key issues faced by Women in Agriculture
- Lack of Land Ownership: Despite legal inheritance, women own only 11% of agricultural land (World Bank).
- Limited Access to Institutional Support: Lack of land titles restricts women’s access to credit, crop insurance, irrigation schemes, extension services, and government agricultural programmes.
- Feminisation of Agriculture: Male migration has increased women’s agricultural responsibilities without a corresponding rise in resources, decision-making power, or benefits.
Way forward for Women Empowerment
- Recognise women as farmers: By defining farmers based on agricultural activities (not land ownership) and collecting gender-disaggregated data.
- Strengthen land and resource rights: Through equal inheritance laws, joint land titles, incentives for property in women’s names, and gender-sensitive land administration.
- Improve access to technology and services: By providing labour-saving tools, inclusive extension services, market information, and climate-resilient farming knowledge.
