Improving employment strategies and potential for women and youth agricultural labour

Abstract

The overwhelming growth of population has created more labour force and the number of unemployed rural women has been increasing. Unemployment has created serious problems in Indian society. The increasing unemployment and underemployment in families have accentuated poverty. Women become doubly underprivileged as members of rural poor and as women. Likewise, youth being a group with low status, tend to become easy victims of exploitation, discrimination and oppression and they suffer due to problems of unemployment. Moreover, the work involved in agriculture is seasonal in nature and agricultural labour have few avenues of employment during off season when they are unemployed or underemployed. The dwindling monsoon and its failure, seems to be the major reason for unemployment in Irrigated Agro Eco System, where the main source of irrigation is through canals. To enhance the quality of life of rural poor, they must be economically viable. Keeping these facts in mind, the present study was attempted with the objective of formulating strategies to improve the employment status and potential of farm women and youth agricultural labour