Vol. 11, Special Issue 5 (2022)

Author(s):
Kavyashree C, Basavaraj Beerannavar, Dharmaraj B, Sagar S Pujar and Vishwanath H

Abstract:
The slogan “RICE is life” is most appropriate for India as this crop plays a vital role in our national food security and livelihood for millions of rural households. In 2009, 94% of the female agricultural labour force in crop cultivation were in cereal production. Women are overworked, and are more arduous than that undertaken by men. Further, since women’s work is largely based on human energy it is considered unskilled and hence less productive. This makes the woman’s work invisible. The present study was conducted during 2017-18 in Shivamogga district of Karnataka state. The study reveals that less than half (46.67%) of the farm women had medium level of participation and one third (33.33%) had low level of participation in paddy cultivation activities. Activities such as value addition in paddy (83.33%), transplanting (20.00%), applying of chemical fertilizers (16.67%), hand weeding (15.00%) were performed by women alone. Activities namely winnowing (81.67% and 6.67%), hand weeding (10.00% and 66.67%), transplanting (8.33% and 66.67%) and milling (58.33% and 13.33%) were performed by farm men with family members or with labourers and farm women with family members or with laborers, respectively. Farming experience, Attitude towards farming are significant with extent of participation of women at one per cent level of significance. Age of the farm women is also significant with participation of farm women at five per cent level of significance.