Barriers Hindering Tribal Women's Participation in Agriculture in Angul District, Odisha

Suchismita Sahoo; Sneha Singh; Shardinjay Singh; Agantika Gupta; Kumar Sonu; R. K. Doharey; Abhinav Singh; Omkar Singh; Sandeep Chauhan

doi:10.48165/IJEE.624RN10

Authors

Suchismita Sahoo M.Sc. Scholar, Department of Agricultural Extension Education, Acharya Narandra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Kumarganj, Ayodhya
Sneha Singh Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural Extension Education, Rastriy Kishan College, Shamli
Shardinjay Singh Ph.D Scholar, Deapartment of Agricultural Extension Education, Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Ayodhya
Agantika Gupta Ph.D Scholar, Deapartment of Agricultural Extension Education, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Modipuram, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India
Kumar Sonu Ph.D Scholar, Deapartment of Agricultural Extension Education, Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Ayodhya https://orcid.org/0009-0005-7922-4609
R. K. Doharey Professor, Department of Agricultural Extension Education, Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology Kumarganj, Ayodhya, U.P., India
Abhinav Singh Subject Matter Specialist, Agriculture Extension, KVK Sant Kabir Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, India,272162.
Omkar Singh Subject Matter Specialist, Plant Protection, ICAR-KVK, P.G College Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, India,233001.
Sandeep Chauhan Ph.D Scholar, Deapartment of Agricultural Extension Education, Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Ayodhya

https://doi.org/10.48165/IJEE.624RN10

Keywords:

Tribal women, agricultural participation, Garrett ranking, knowledge and awareness, gender.

Abstract

Tribal women contributed extensively to agricultural labour in India's tribal belts, yet their participation remained constrained by social, economic, technological, environmental, and institutional barriers that were rarely studied systematically at the district level. The present study was conducted in Angul district of Odisha during 2024-25 to identify and rank the constraints faced by tribal women in agricultural participation. Four blocks (Chhendipada, Athamalik, Pallahada, and Kaniha) were purposively selected, and sixteen villages were chosen at random, from which 160 tribal women respondents were drawn. Data were collected through a pre-tested structured interview schedule covering ten constraints under five broad dimensions and were analysed using the Garrett Ranking Technique. The results showed that lack of awareness about agriculture's importance (mean score 87.76) ranked as the most severe constraint, followed by inadequate training on modern farming practices and market trends (83.32). Economic and market constraints, patriarchal social structures, and unclear government policies followed in order of severity, while environmental and infrastructural constraints were rated comparatively less severe. The findings offered extension functionaries and policymakers an evidence-based basis for designing targeted interventions for tribal women in agriculture.

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