Technological Needs of women in Paddy Cultivation:

A study in Ranga Reddy district, Andhra Pradesh

Abstract

Women were perhaps the first to domesticate the crop plants, and have played a pivotal role in the development of agriculture. In Indian mythology, women are rightly worshipped as Annapurna - the provider of food. Even today, the rural women continue to play an important role in farm related operations, besides fulfilling other responsibilities of home making and child rearing. The female population in the country according to Census 1991, is 406.38 million ( 48.15 per cent of total population) of which 75 per cent are rural. The percentage of women cultivators is 34.22, women agricultural labourers is 44.93; in livestock, forestry, fisheries and other allied activities 1.60 per cent of women are involved (Gangadhara, 1995)