IMPACT OF WOMEN EMPOWERMENT ON PARTICIPATION OF FARM WOMEN IN DECISION MAKING IN AGRICULTURE: AN ECONOMIC ANALYSIS

S. SAKAMMA¹*, K.B. UMESH^2
1Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
²Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
* Corresponding Author : savithauas@gmail.com

Received : 07-12-2016     Accepted : 16-01-2018     Published : 30-01-2018
Volume : 10     Issue : 2       Pages : 5017 - 5022
Int J Agr Sci 10.2 (2018):5017-5022

Keywords : Women empowerment, farm women, decision making, agriculture
Academic Editor : Vilas Jadhav, Dhanusri
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : Author are thankful to ¬Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Author Contribution : All author equally contributed

Although Indian constitution ensures equal rights to women with men, Indian women very much suffer due to their powerlessness. They are prohibited to take part in decision making related to agriculture, household and external matters. This paper makes an attempt to assess the influence of women empowerment on participation of farm women in decision making in agriculture, allied activities and farm finance. In high agri-enterprise diversification region the women belonging to high women empowered rainfed situation realized maximum annual income by taking up several income generating activities. Thus, they used the resources efficiently and spread the risk across various enterprises instead of taking only one activity. The analyses revealed that in almost all the groups of decision making (related to crops, livestock, farm finance, household activities and household finance) women involvement in decision making was found to be high in case of high agri enterprise diversification region compared to less agri-enterprise diversification region and in both the regions, the number of women belonging high women empowered category participating in decision making was high compared to low women empowered category.

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