The United Nations has designated 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer to spotlight the essential goals women play across agri-food systems from production to trade, while often going unrecognised. Women farmers are central to food security, nutrition, and economic resilience . It calls for collective action, increased investment, and mainstream gender equitable policies in agriculture. As farmers, agricultural workers, food processors, traders, entrepreneurs and community leaders, women play a central role in rural economies, natural resource management and food production – they make significant contributions to food security, nutrition and the well-being of families and communities . Globally, women are reported to make up around 43% of agricultural labour, yet they control only a small fraction of land and resources, and are often excluded from credit, technology, and markets. The International Year aims to shift this imbalance by making women’s contributions visible, amplifying their voices in policy, and strengthening women centred programmes.
The Indian context
In India, women are the backbone of agriculture, albeit they are seldom recognised as farmers in their own right. Official records often treat them as “dependents,” “family helpers,” or “casual labourers” because the legal and institutional framework links the identity of a “farmer” mainly to land ownership, which remains male dominated. This invisibility means women’s labour is undervalued, under paid, and excluded from many schemes and benefits. Farm women are also heavily concentrated in the most labour intensive, drudgerous tasks, whereas control of mechanisation and decision making around crops remains in the hands of men. They rarely own land or hold titles to farm assets, which limits their access to credit, insurance, and government schemes, even when they are the ones managing day to day cultivation. Therefore, priority action areas include: increasing women’s access to and control over productive resources; developing gender-sensitive value chains; investing in labour-saving technologies; and addressing gender issues in climate change adaptation and resilience building. For India, this year presents an opportunity to confront the structural gaps that keep farm women at the margins of decision making, land ownership, and income security.
Increasing Feminisation of agriculture in India
In India, agriculture employs about 80% of rural women , with higher shares in some states such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. However, land ownership remains the most glaring inequality. As per the agricultural census, 2015-16, at the national level, only 14% of operational land holdings are owned by women, which amounts to 11% of the total land in the country. This gap reflects patriarchal inheritance practices and limited success of land reforms. The phenomenon of “feminisation of agriculture” is also evident with men migrating to cities or to non farm work. However, this feminisation is not inherently empowering; it often means women manage more work without greater control over income, technology, or policy space.
Although the majority of women are full time agricultural workers, yet they appear in records as “casual labourers” or “family helpers.” This invisibility directly translates into lower wages and weaker entitlements. Women are often paid less than men for the same tasks, and their work is not counted in household income. Their contributions—as seed savers, animal caretakers, and market linked producers—are treated as “natural” or “unskilled” rather than as skilled labour, which further entrenches economic dependence.
Women are disproportionately concentrated in the most physically demanding and time consuming tasks: transplanting paddy, weeding, harvesting, threshing, fetching water and fodder, and tending livestock and kitchen gardens. These activities are often back breaking, poorly compensated, and tied to seasonal spikes, yet they are rarely mechanised or supported by ergonomic tools. Women often work 10–12 hours a day in the fields, then perform household chores late into the night, with little rest or recognition. Mechanisation has largely favoured male dominated tasks like ploughing and sowing, while “women’s tasks” remain labour intensive, reinforcing patterns of drudgery instead of shared farm work.
Women’s exclusion as farmers and decision-makers limits their role in household and community decisions about cropping patterns, technology adoption, and market linkages. Men often control income from crops, while women bear responsibility for household food sufficiency and livestock, yet their insights are rarely considered into practice and policy dialogues.
In response to these challenges, the Government of India has introduced several schemes that explicitly target women farmers. Some of the schemes include Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP) under DAY NRLM, which is aimed at improving the productivity and income of women farmers by promoting agriculture-based livelihood options. It provides women with technical training, financial support, and a better understanding of sustainable agriculture. Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation (SMAM), a component of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, provides benefits for women, such as subsidised hiring or purchase of equipment that reduces drudgery. Another key initiative is the Namo Drone Didi scheme aiming to empower women-led Self-Help Groups (SHGs) by equipping them with drone technology to provide agricultural services. This initiative is expected to generate an additional income of at least Rs. 1 lakh per year for each SHG, contributing to economic empowerment and sustainable livelihood generation.
BAIF’s Initiatives for Farm Women
Alongside government schemes, several NGOs and farmer movements have emerged as strong advocates for farm women empowerment. BAIF Development Research Foundation which has a long history and avowed commitment towards women as equal partners in fostering sustainable rural development. To this end, some of our programmes implemented in partnership with corporates have focussed exclusively on women farmers, like ‘Prerna: Empower Women Farmers as Change Makers in Agriculture’ wherein women farmers were given knowledge support through package of practices, access to mechanisation, and tractor driving. A similar initiative, ‘Sathi’ was also designed for women farmers in tribal areas, specific to their needs. BAIF also has a women-led farmer producer organisation (FPO) in Maharashtra is developing milk value chain. On-farm women entrepreneurs are also being nurtured through expert guidance, training, market linkages and finance, as required.
Through its initiatives, BAIF recognises women farmers as custodians of traditional seeds and indigenous knowledge, helping conserve agrobiodiversity. Women participants are also championed as catalysts for digital and financial inclusion, enabling them to access banking services, government schemes, and digital platforms with confidence. BAIF also advances gender and technology inclusion, by means of programmes, such as, Drone Didis, eDost, and Sanvadini, bridging the digital divide and creating new livelihood opportunities while positioning rural women as leaders in sustainable and technology-driven development.
Conclusion
In summary, the 2026 International Year of the Woman Farmer provides a powerful frame to highlight both the scale of women’s contributions in Indian agriculture and the persistent gaps in recognition, assets, and agency. It provides an opportunity to acknowledge their vital role as well as the challenges they continue to face. Government policies such as Namo Drone Didi and MKSP, along with NGO supported initiatives, are beginning to shift the landscape, but much more is needed to ensure that farm women are not only seen but also empowered as equal partners in India’s food future.
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