Vol. 12, Issue 3 (2023)

Author(s):
Sawandkar DN, Wakle PK, Lambe SP, Mankar DM, Patke NK and Walke RD

Abstract:
India is celebrating and commemorating the progressive 75 years of India after independence with ‘Azaadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ and promulgating mission of warranting women as “Empowered women- Empowered Nation”. India is an agrarian economy with about 54.60 per cent of total workforce engaged in agricultural and allied sector activities (Census 2011). Women are extensively engaged in the activities pertaining to agriculture and allied sector. The empowerment of women in agriculture is fundamental to reduce poverty, hunger and malnutrition as they play an important role in agriculture not only as agricultural labourers, co-farmers and family labourers but as managers of the farm and farm entrepreneurs. It is essential therefore to recognize that women farmers have the potential and the solution to bring their families out of poverty; and thus women farmers should be at the forefront of agriculture. The present study focuses on farm women as an integral part of rural society; hence the research objective was formulated to identify the agricultural enterprises undertaken by the farm women of, Western Vidarbha region. An exploratory research design of social science was used for the investigation. Study was conducted in Akola and Washim districts in the year 2021, with 240 respondents. In the present study different agricultural enterprises followed by the farm women was identified and recorded. The findings of the study indicated that, as 34.58 per cent of farm women are engaged in agriculture, 23.75 in Agriculture + labour, 30.83 per cent of the farm women are engaged in allied agricultural enterprises.