Women Labour Patterns in Agriculture in Rural Jharkhand: A Descriptive View
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53983/ijmds.v14n11.010Keywords:
Agriculture, Employment, Labour, Pandemic, WomenAbstract
This study examines long-term trends in women’s participation in agriculture in rural Jharkhand and rural India. Using Labour Bureau and Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) data from 2011-12 to 2023-24, it highlights a steady rise in labour force participation post 2017-18, driven largely by women's growing involvement in agriculture. Rural Jharkhand consistently records higher participation rates than the national rural average, with a notable increase during the COVID-19 pandemic. Post-pandemic, it declines marginally, likely due to a shift towards the manufacturing sector. Earlier, between 2001 and 2011, women's employment moved away from agriculture due to declining cultivator numbers, rising education, increased household income, mechanisation and various government employment schemes. Overall findings suggested that women’s participation in agriculture is shaped more by economic necessity than by choice, underscoring the need for diversified employment opportunities and supportive policies for rural women.
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