Women's Unpaid Labor in Agriculture: Experts Challenge Official Statistics at Chennai Seminar
At a national media workshop on gender and agri-food systems held in Chennai, experts highlighted a stark disparity between official statistics and the reality of women's contributions to agriculture. The seminar, titled 'Reframing the narrative: A national media workshop on gender and agri-food systems', took place at the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) in memory of educationist Mina Swaminathan, wife of the late agricultural scientist M S Swaminathan. This annual event, held every March, awards media fellowships to deserving journalists and coincides with the UN's international year of the woman farmer.
Underreporting of Women's Agricultural Labor
Nitya Rao, professor of gender and development at the University of East Anglia, UK, and trustee of MSSRF, pointed out that while statistics might suggest women constitute 50% of the labor force in agri-food systems, the actual figure is much higher. "What percentage of the labour force in agri-food systems constitutes women? Statistics might say 50% but in reality, it is much higher, considering fisheries, livestock and more," she said. Rao emphasized that as more men migrate to cities, women are increasingly left to manage farms, yet only 13% of women own land. Additionally, women earn only 82 cents for every dollar earned by men, with most of their labor going unpaid.
Inaccurate Government Figures and Policy Gaps
Madhura Swaminathan, professor at the Indian Statistical Institute, reinforced these concerns by stating that women's contributions to agriculture have never been properly recognized or measured. She criticized government celebrations of statistics indicating 42% of rural women above age 15 are in the workforce, calling these figures both too low and incorrect. "If you study their economic activity throughout the day, and every day for a week, you will find 60% of adult women are engaged in farm labour. This figure becomes 90% during harvest season," Swaminathan explained. Despite this significant involvement, she noted that government schemes and policies are not designed with women in mind, leading to systemic neglect.
Broader Context: Climate Change and Storytelling
The seminar also explored women's labor in the context of climate change, with Soumya Swaminathan, chairperson of MSSRF, stressing that all development should be climate-sensitive to address emerging challenges. In another discussion, author Aparna Karthikeyan advocated for more inclusive storytelling, urging that narratives should encompass all women, not just those labeled as victors or victims. This holistic approach aims to shed light on the diverse roles women play in agri-food systems, from daily farm work to adapting to environmental shifts.
The insights from this workshop underscore a critical need for revised data collection and gender-responsive policies to accurately reflect and support women's indispensable role in agriculture, ensuring their contributions are both recognized and compensated fairly.
