Studies on Involvement of Women in Agriculture and Allied Activities in Kalahandi District of Orissa

Abstract

Since time immemorial women have significant contribution in almost every aspects of our society. Generally, they have been considered as the decision makers of our families which they take independently or in consultation with their husbands or with the heads of the families. Besides having an anchoring role in the management of the ir families, women equally participate in different economic activities like crop production , vegetable cultivation , fruit raising, livestock management, pisciculture and other miscellaneous activities such as mushroom cultivation , leaf plate making, bamboo works, badi and papad making etc. As per recent findings, women in India are major producers of food in terms of value, volume and number of hours worked (Das h, 2000). Nearly 78 % of economically active women are engaged in agriculture in comparison to 63 % of their male counterparts. Almost 50% of rural female workers are agricultural labourers and 37 % as cultivators. Almost 70% of total farm works are performed by women only (census of Indi a, 198 1). In Orissa also 27.3 % of total workers are women the main workers and marginal workers among female constitute 58.2% and 41 .8% respectively (economic survey, Government of Orissa, 1999-2000). According to I 991 census 80. 9% of female work force was engaged 111 agriculture, 25.85 was cultivator and 55 .1 % was agricultural labourer