🏛️ Legacy IAS – Bangalore | UPSC Civil Services Coaching
Feminization of Agriculture
& Women Farmers in India
GS Paper I/II/III | Concept · Causes · Implications · Challenges | PLFS 2023-24 Data | UN IYoWF 2026 | Government Initiatives | Updated Current Affairs | PYQs + MCQs
⚡ Jump to Section
Concept & Forms
Key Data
Causes
Significance
Challenges
Climate Change
Govt Initiatives
Current Affairs
Way Forward
Mains PYQs
Practice MCQs
76.95%
Rural women in agriculture (PLFS 2023-24)
47.6%
Rural female LFPR (2023-24, up from 24.6% in 2017-18)
12.8%
Operational land holdings owned by women
60–80%
Food production by women in developing countries
20–30%
Yield boost if women get equal resources (FAO)
2026
UN International Year of the Woman Farmer
1. Concept & Definition
👩🌾 Feminization of Agriculture — Definition
The rising dependence on women in carrying out agricultural work and sustaining rural economies, driven largely by male out-migration and socio-economic transformations. It represents a structural transformation in the farming system, especially in developing nations, encompassing demographic shifts, labour market transitions, and changing societal roles of women.
It has significant consequences for rural development, agricultural productivity, food security, and gender equity.
1.1 Three Forms of Feminization of Agriculture
👩 High Female Labour Participation
Women are now working in a large segment of the agricultural workforce, undertaking farming tasks earlier dominated by men. Over 76.95% of rural women are engaged in agriculture (PLFS 2023-24) — the highest among all economic sectors for women.
🏡 Rise of Female-Headed Farm Households
Male migration, absenteeism, and mortality have contributed to a rise in women-led farming households. Women not only do the labour but manage the entire farm operation — input purchase, cultivation, harvest, marketing — de facto farm managers.
🗳️ Improved Decision-Making Power
Women are gradually assuming greater authority in agricultural decision-making, resource allocation, and leadership within farming households. SHG-led movements in AP, Telangana, and Kerala show women transitioning from labourers to farm managers.
2. Key Data — Women in Indian Agriculture
| Indicator | Data | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Rural women engaged in agriculture | 76.95% of rural women (up from 71.1% in 2018-19) | PLFS 2023-24 |
| Rural Female LFPR | 47.6% in 2023-24 (up from 24.6% in 2017-18 — +23 percentage points) | PLFS 2023-24 (PIB) |
| Overall Female LFPR (India) | 41.7% in 2023-24 (up from 23.3% in 2017-18) | PLFS 2023-24 |
| Share as agricultural workers | ~33% of total agricultural workers are women | Multiple surveys |
| Self-employed women in farming | ~50% of self-employed farmers | Various assessments |
| Operational land holdings by women | Only 12.8% of operational holdings; 10.34% of total area | Agriculture Census 2015-16 |
| Rural women in farming (Agriculture Census) | 73% of rural women involved in farming and allied sectors | Agriculture Census 2015-16 |
| Extension service access | Women receive less than 20% of agricultural extension services | FAO / ICAR estimates |
| Unpaid farm labour | Over 70% of women's farm work is unpaid and unrecognised | Gender assessments |
| Potential yield boost | 20–30% higher yields if women get equal access to resources | FAO |
| Food production in developing countries | Women contribute 60–80% of food production | FAO / UN |
Distress vs Empowerment Paradox: The rise in rural female LFPR from 24.6% (2017-18) to 47.6% (2023-24) is celebrated as a success — but much of this increase reflects distress-driven entry, not empowered choice. Share of women in agriculture rose from 71.1% to 76.95% — meaning women are moving back into farming, not out of it. The rise is largely in unpaid/self-employment roles, not regular wage jobs. Economic distress, male out-migration, and lack of alternative employment are the primary drivers.
3. Causes of Feminization of Agriculture
🚶♂️ Male Out-Migration
In many rural regions, men migrate to cities for higher incomes in industrial or service jobs — leaving women in charge of agricultural activities. 2011 Census: 33.7% of rural males migrate for better job opportunities. Seasonal migration intensifies this trend.
- Punjab: mechanisation and contract farming drew men away from daily farm labour
- Odisha: women take over subsistence farming and animal husbandry due to male migration
- Women become de facto farm managers while men remain the titular landowners
📉 Economic Transition & Rural Distress
Decline of agricultural employment and growth of industry/services draws men away. Declining agricultural production, higher input costs, and climate change worsen rural economics, forcing women into farming.
- Bundelkhand: recurring droughts forced women to migrate for daily-wage work as agriculture became unsustainable
- Mechanisation often excludes women, concentrating them in labour-intensive tasks
- Inflation and household income needs compel women to supplement family earnings
⚡ Technological Transformation
Mechanisation and modern agricultural technologies often exclude women — concentrating them in traditional and labour-intensive practices (weeding, transplanting, harvesting by hand) while men operate machinery.
However, new schemes (Namo Drone Didi, SMAM subsidies for women) are beginning to reverse this by putting technology directly in women's hands.
🏛️ Policy Gaps & Limited Alternatives
Unequal access to education, skilling, and non-farm employment opportunities restricts women's ability to diversify livelihoods — confining them to agriculture. Conflict and displacement (armed conflicts, natural disasters) disproportionately affect men, increasing women's agricultural roles.
4. Significance of Women's Role in Agriculture
🌾 Food Security
Women contribute 60–80% of food production in developing countries. Nearly half the global food supply depends on women farmers. In subsistence agriculture, women are the primary producers of household food security.
🌿 Indigenous Knowledge Holders
Women preserve and transmit indigenous knowledge on seed selection (in-situ conservation), soil health, herbal medicine, and water management — intergenerational knowledge that formal research systems cannot replicate.
♻️ Sustainable Practices
Women tend to adopt eco-friendly, regenerative agriculture due to their focus on family nutrition and local resilience. Indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants, traditional seed varieties, and soil management supports biodiversity and sustainability.
📊 Productivity Potential
FAO estimates: equal access to resources could boost women's farm yields by 20–30%. Closing the gender gap in agriculture could increase global food production by 2.5–4%, reducing hunger for 100–150 million people globally.
👨👩👧 Nutrition & Household Wellbeing
Women farmers invest significantly more of their income in food, education, and health for children. Research shows that income in women's hands leads to better nutritional outcomes — particularly for children's micronutrient intake.
💼 Economic Empowerment
SHG-linked agriculture in AP, Telangana, and Maharashtra shows women transitioning from unpaid agricultural labourers to organic farming entrepreneurs with direct market access — from labour market participants to farm business owners.
"Somewhere between farmer's field and dinner table, women hold the key to food security."
— M.S. Swaminathan, Father of the Green Revolution in India
5. Challenges Faced by Women Farmers
- Only 12.8% of operational land holdings owned by women (Agriculture Census 2015-16) — just 10.34% of total land area
- Land ownership is the primary collateral for credit, insurance (PMFBY), and most welfare schemes (PM-KISAN excludes non-landholder women)
- Hindu Succession Act (amended 2005) gives daughters equal inheritance rights — but implementation remains weak; customary practices override law in practice
- Women farmers without land titles are invisible in government data — their farming is not recorded in agricultural surveys as "farmers"
- Joint pattas (land ownership certificates in joint names) remain underutilised despite state government initiatives in AP and Karnataka
- Lack of land as collateral restricts women's access to formal finance, crop insurance, and Kisan Credit Cards
- KCC (Kisan Credit Card) issued primarily to land-owning households — most women farm without it
- Only ~27% of women have bank accounts actively used for agricultural transactions
- Microfinance fills the gap but at higher interest rates; SHG-bank linkage is the main formal credit channel for women
- PM-KISAN excludes tenant farmers and sharecroppers — many of whom are women who farm others' land
- Women receive less than 20% of agricultural extension services despite performing 70%+ of farming tasks
- KVK training programmes historically targeted male farmers — changing slowly with MKSP and SMAM targeting women
- Digital divide: lower smartphone access among rural women limits benefits from e-NAM, Kisan Suvidha app, AgriStack
- Mechanisation introduced for men's tasks (tractors, harvesters) — tools for women's tasks (weeding, transplanting) remain manual
- SMAM provides 50–80% subsidy on farm machinery — but women's access depends on having a formal bank account and land record
- Women balance agricultural work + domestic chores (cooking, childcare, water fetching, fuel collection) + caregiving
- Time-use surveys show rural women work 13–16 hours/day; only 4–6 hours are "paid" or recognised economically
- In water-scarce areas (Rajasthan, Bundelkhand), women walk several kilometres daily to fetch water — reducing time for farming
- Over 70% of women's farm work is unpaid and unrecognised — invisible in GDP, excluded from social security benefits
- Lack of childcare facilities and maternity support forces women to carry infant children to fields
- Land-linked schemes (PM-KISAN, PMFBY, KCC) bypass women who lack formal land ownership recognition
- Patriarchal norms restrict women's mobility — attending markets, negotiating with traders, participating in APMC mandis is socially limited
- Women rarely appear in official agricultural surveys as "principal cultivators" — statistical invisibility leads to policy blindspot
- MSP procurement processes (mandis, weighing, paperwork) are male-dominated spaces; women face barriers to participation
- Market access barriers: mobility constraints + literacy gaps + lack of e-NAM digital skills = women locked out of price discovery
6. Climate Change & Women in Agriculture
🌡️ Climate Vulnerability Amplified for Women
- Reduced crop yields due to climate shocks increase household and caregiving burdens disproportionately on women
- Bundelkhand: Recurring droughts forced women to migrate for daily-wage work as agriculture became unsustainable
- Climate-induced male out-migration further increases women's farm management burden without transferring resources or land rights
- Loss of biodiversity and traditional crop varieties (conserved by women) due to climate-induced mono-cropping weakens food security
💧 Resource Access & Water Crisis
- Lack of land ownership prevents women from accessing credit, insurance (PMFBY), and climate-resilient farming schemes
- Equal access to resources could boost women's yields by 20–30% (FAO)
- Rajasthan: Women walk several kilometres daily to fetch water for irrigation — reducing time for productive farming
- Declining groundwater forces longer water collection walks — time stolen from farming and caregiving
Double Burden of Climate Change: Women suffer both as agricultural producers (crop losses, reduced income) AND as caregivers (increased domestic burden when male out-migration rises due to farm failure). They have less access to climate-resilient schemes (land-linked), yet their indigenous knowledge of drought-resistant varieties, water harvesting, and soil management is the most powerful tool for climate adaptation — a paradox that underscores the need for gender-responsive climate policy.
7. Government Initiatives for Women in Agriculture
| Initiative | Key Features | Women's Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| MKSP (Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana) |
Sub-scheme under DAY-NRLM; recognises women as 'Kisan'; training in agroecology, sustainable agriculture, capacity building | Formal recognition of women as farmers; builds skills in organic/natural farming; links to SHG credit and markets |
| Namo Drone Didi (2023-24, ₹1,261 crore) |
15,000 Women SHGs receive agricultural drones; 80% CFA (up to ₹8 lakh); 15-day drone pilot training | Women as drone service providers — additional ₹1 lakh/year income; puts technology directly in women's hands; 30× efficiency vs manual spraying |
| SMAM — Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation | 50–80% subsidy on farm machinery; priority given to female farmers; Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) | Reduces manual labour burden on women; provides access to machinery otherwise unaffordable |
| NFSM — National Food Security Mission | 30% of funds reserved for women beneficiaries in various crops in several states | Inclusive access to seeds, inputs, training under food crop missions |
| DAY-NRLM & SHG-Bank Linkage | 8.3 crore+ women in SHGs; SHG-bank linkage for formal credit; Lakhpati Didi target (3 crore women earning ₹1 lakh+) | Primary formal credit channel for rural women farmers; collective bargaining and input procurement |
| PM-KUSUM | Solar pumps replacing diesel irrigation; Namo Drone Didi integration | Reduces irrigation costs; SHG women as pump operators and solar service providers |
| Green Agriculture Project (FAO + GoI) |
Climate resilience and gender mainstreaming in agriculture | Women-targeted climate-resilient farming practices; links traditional knowledge to modern agroecology |
| ENACT Project — Assam (WFP + Norway) |
Promotes flood-resistant rice, digital advisories, and women-led seed banks in Assam | Women as climate adaptation agents; seed sovereignty; digital advisory access for women farmers |
MKSP — Flagship Scheme for Women Farmers: Under DAY-NRLM, MKSP is the only central scheme that explicitly recognises women as Kisan (farmers) regardless of land ownership. It covers training in agroecology, natural farming, seed conservation, kitchen gardens, and SHG-linked market access. Over 36 lakh women have been covered under MKSP. In AP, Telangana, and Odisha, MKSP-trained women have transitioned from agricultural labourers to farm managers running organic operations.
8. Current Affairs 2024–26 High Priority
🌍 UN Declares 2026 as International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYoWF 2026)
- Resolution adopted: May 2, 2024, by the UN General Assembly — proposed by USA, co-sponsored by 123+ countries including India
- FAO (with IFAD and WFP) designated as lead implementing agency
- Objectives: Raise awareness of women's roles in agrifood systems; highlight barriers (land tenure, credit, technology, education); encourage gender-responsive policies; promote women's leadership in agriculture
- India's role: India was a co-sponsor of the resolution; aligns with MKSP, Namo Drone Didi, and SHG empowerment agenda
- Global launch: Observance globally launched December 2025 at FAO headquarters
- UPSC relevance: Any 2025-26 UPSC question mentioning gender in agriculture will likely reference IYoWF 2026 — it is a high-value current affairs hook for answers
📊 PLFS 2023-24 — Female Labour Force Participation Data
- Rural Female LFPR: 47.6% (2023-24) — up from 24.6% (2017-18); +23 percentage points in 6 years
- Overall Female LFPR: 41.7% (2023-24) — up from 23.3% (2017-18)
- Agriculture dominance: 76.95% of rural women workers are in agriculture (rose from 71.1% in 2018-19)
- Distress signal: Share of agriculture increasing among women workers — structural transformation NOT occurring; women moving back into farming, not into industry/services
- Positive indicator: Skilled agricultural labour among women rose from 48% to 59.4%; physically demanding jobs decreased from 23.4% to 16.6% — a welcome shift within agriculture
- Rise linked to: male out-migration + economic distress + household income supplementation need; also partly to improved MGNREGA access and basic amenities (piped water, clean cooking fuel) freeing time
🚁 Namo Drone Didi — Women as Agri-Technology Entrepreneurs
- 15,000 Women SHGs (DAY-NRLM) to receive agricultural drones; ₹1,261 crore outlay (2023-24 to 2025-26)
- 80% Central Financial Assistance up to ₹8 lakh; balance via AIF loan at 3% interest
- 15-day drone pilot training + 5-day drone assistant training per SHG group
- SHGs provide rental drone services to farmers — ₹1 lakh/year additional income per SHG
- 1,094 drones distributed by Lead Fertilizer Companies in 2023-24 using their own resources
- Significance: First time agricultural technology (drones) is being deployed specifically to generate women's income — combines feminization challenge with technology opportunity
💰 Lakhpati Didi — 3 Crore Women Earning ₹1 Lakh+ Target
- Target enhanced from 2 crore to 3 crore Lakhpati Didis (Interim Budget 2024-25)
- Includes income from drone services (Namo Drone Didi), livestock, organic farming, SHG enterprises
- Convergence of DAY-NRLM + MKSP + Namo Drone Didi + PM-KUSUM creates integrated women's livelihood ecosystem in agriculture
- As of 2025: 1.15 crore women certified as Lakhpati Didi; target of 3 crore by 2026
🌱 Natural Farming Push — Women as Change Agents
- National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF, ₹2,481 crore, Nov 2024): 1 crore farmers in 15,000 clusters; 10,000 Bio-Input Resource Centres (BRCs)
- Women SHGs being engaged as operators of BRCs — producing and distributing Jeevamrit, Bijamrit
- Natural farming reduces input costs significantly — particularly beneficial for women farmers who often can't afford expensive chemical inputs
- MKSP explicitly promotes ZBNF and natural farming among women — convergence of MKSP + NMNF at ground level
9. Way Forward
📜 Land Tenure Reform — Root Fix
- Implement Hindu Succession Act (2005) effectively — ensure daughters inherit land equally in practice
- Issue joint land pattas (husband + wife) as default in all new land allotments under government schemes
- Create "Woman Farmer Identity" independent of land ownership — digital Farmer ID under AgriStack can include tenant farmers and sharecroppers
- Legal recognition as farmer (not just agricultural labourer) enables access to PM-KISAN, PMFBY, KCC
💰 Financial Inclusion
- Expand KCC to SHG-linked women without land collateral requirement
- Microfinance + crop insurance linkage for women in MKSP clusters
- Dedicated women-farmer credit window under NABARD and SIDBI
- Formalise unpaid agricultural labour — extend MGNREGA wage protections to unpaid family farm work
🔬 Technology & Extension Equity
- Scale Namo Drone Didi to 50,000 SHGs beyond current 15,000
- SMAM machinery subsidy to women should not require land title — link to SHG membership
- All KVK training programmes to have mandatory 33% women participant target
- Gender-responsive digital extension — local language, voice-based advisories via Kisan SMS Portal
🤝 SHG-Led Value Chains
- Support women-led FPOs and cooperatives for collective marketing, processing, and export
- Link women's SHG collectives to e-NAM for transparent price discovery
- Promote women's agri-enterprises in organic farming, seed banking, agri-tourism
- AP SHG model (women as organic farmers + direct marketers) to be replicated nationally
📊 Data & Policy Reform
- Include gender-disaggregated data in all agricultural planning documents and scheme monitoring
- Agriculture Census to count women who farm as "cultivators" regardless of land ownership
- Gender impact assessment for all new agricultural schemes before launch
- Expand PLFS to collect detailed data on unpaid agricultural work by women
🌱 Social Protection & Climate Adaptation
- Universal social protection — maternity benefits, pensions, disaster relief — for all women engaged in farming (not just formal workers)
- Women-led seed banks (as in ENACT Project, Assam) to preserve climate-resilient traditional varieties
- Include women's indigenous knowledge in climate adaptation planning (Andhra Pradesh, Telangana models)
- Piped water + clean cooking fuel (Ujjwala) frees women's time for productive farming — expand coverage
10. UPSC Mains PYQs
10 Marks
⏱ ~12 minutes | 150 words
GS Paper III / Paper I2025-26IYoWF 2026
The UN's declaration of 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer highlights the need to empower women in agriculture. Discuss key barriers and suggest strategies for inclusive agricultural growth in India. (150 Words)
Introduction: UNGA declared 2026 as International Year of the Woman Farmer (Resolution adopted May 2, 2024; USA proposed, 123+ co-sponsors including India; FAO leading implementation). In India, 76.95% of rural women work in agriculture (PLFS 2023-24), yet face systemic exclusion from resources and policy.
Key Barriers:
Key Barriers:
- Land exclusion: Only 12.8% of operational holdings owned by women — locks them out of KCC, PMFBY, PM-KISAN
- Extension deficit: Women receive < 20% of agricultural extension services despite performing 70%+ of farm tasks
- Technology gap: Mechanisation targets men; women concentrated in manual, labour-intensive tasks
- Unpaid labour trap: 70%+ of women's farm work unpaid — invisible in GDP, excluded from social protection
- Time poverty: Triple burden of farming + domestic work + water/fuel collection — Rajasthan women walk kilometres daily for water
- Market barriers: Mobility + literacy constraints + no digital access = excluded from e-NAM price discovery
- Land rights: Joint land pattas; enforce Hindu Succession Act; AgriStack Farmer IDs for women without land
- MKSP expansion: Scale to cover all SHG women farmers; formal recognition as Kisan without land requirement
- Namo Drone Didi: Scale from 15,000 to 50,000 SHGs; women as agri-technology entrepreneurs
- FPO formation: Women-led FPOs for collective marketing; link to e-NAM
- Social protection: Universal maternity benefits and pensions for women in agriculture
15 Marks
⏱ ~18 minutes | 200 words
GS Paper IIIGender & Agriculture
Analyse the causes and implications of the 'feminization of agriculture' in India. What policy interventions are needed to ensure that this process leads to genuine empowerment rather than increased vulnerability?
Introduction: Feminization of agriculture = rising dependence on women in farm work, driven by male out-migration and economic transition. India: 76.95% of rural women engaged in agriculture (PLFS 2023-24); Rural Female LFPR rose from 24.6% (2017-18) to 47.6% (2023-24) — but largely distress-driven.
Three Forms: (1) High female labour participation; (2) Rise in female-headed farm households; (3) Gradual improvement in decision-making power (AP SHG model).
Causes:
Three Forms: (1) High female labour participation; (2) Rise in female-headed farm households; (3) Gradual improvement in decision-making power (AP SHG model).
Causes:
- Male out-migration — 2011 Census: 33.7% rural males migrate for urban jobs
- Economic distress — declining farm profitability; higher input costs; climate shocks (Bundelkhand droughts)
- Policy gaps — limited non-farm employment for women; mechanisation excluding women
- Conflict/displacement — disproportionately increases women's agricultural burden
- Economic: Enhances family incomes when empowered; but persistent wage gaps and credit exclusion limit potential
- Food security: Women's central role in subsistence farming is positive — but restricted access to land, technology, and finance compromises output
- Environmental: Women's traditional knowledge supports sustainability; but exclusion from institutional training limits adoption of modern eco-friendly techniques
- Gender equality: Agricultural responsibility increases women's recognition — but patriarchal structures restrict decision-making autonomy
- Land rights reform: Joint patta system; enforce Hindu Succession Act; AgriStack Farmer IDs for non-land-owning women
- Financial inclusion: Collateral-free KCC for SHG members; women-specific crop insurance under PMFBY
- Technology access: Scale Namo Drone Didi; SMAM machinery subsidy without land title requirement
- MKSP + FPO: Women-led FPOs linking to e-NAM; MKSP formal Kisan recognition
- Data reform: Count all women farming as "cultivators" in Agriculture Census regardless of land ownership
- Social protection: Universal maternity support and disaster relief for women in agriculture
10 Marks
⏱ ~12 minutes | 150 words
GS Paper IWomenSocial Issue
How does climate change disproportionately impact women engaged in agriculture in India? Suggest measures to build climate-resilient livelihoods for women farmers.
Introduction: India's 76 million+ women farmers (76.95% of rural women workforce) face a double burden from climate change — reduced farm income AND increased caregiving demands.
Disproportionate Impacts on Women:
Disproportionate Impacts on Women:
- Income loss: Climate shocks reduce yields — increased household financial burden falls on women; Bundelkhand droughts forced women into daily-wage migration
- Water crisis: Declining groundwater forces women in Rajasthan to walk kilometres daily for water — reduces time available for farming
- Resource exclusion: Lack of land ownership prevents women from accessing climate-resilient schemes (PMFBY, PMKSY) and credit for adaptation investments
- Knowledge erosion: Climate-induced monoculture destroys traditional seed diversity that women preserve — undermining their agricultural knowledge base
- Increased male migration: Climate-driven farm failures trigger male out-migration, further feminising agriculture without transferring land rights or resources to women
- ENACT model: Flood-resistant rice varieties + digital advisories + women-led seed banks (Assam/WFP model) — replicate nationally
- Solar irrigation: PM-KUSUM + Namo Drone Didi — reduce dependence on rainfall; women as solar pump operators
- Natural farming: NMNF + MKSP — reduce chemical input costs; women SHGs as Bio-Input Resource Centre operators
- Weather-indexed insurance: NDVI-based PMFBY claims for women without land titles; SHG-level group crop insurance
- Water rights: Jal Shakti Abhiyan + water user groups with mandatory 33% women representation
11. Practice MCQs — Feminization of Agriculture
Q 1
As per PLFS 2023-24, which of the following correctly describes the trend in women's participation in India's rural labour force?
PLFS 2023-24 (official PIB): Rural female LFPR rose from 24.6% (2017-18) to 47.6% (2023-24) — a +23 percentage point increase. This rise was driven by rural women, not urban women. The share of rural women working in agriculture actually rose further — from 71.1% (2018-19) to 76.95% (2023-24) — meaning the structural transformation was NOT occurring. Women moved back INTO agriculture, not out of it. This increase reflects both genuine workforce engagement AND economic distress (male out-migration, inflation, income supplementation needs). Option (c) is wrong — the rise is in agriculture, not industry/services. Option (d) is wrong — agriculture share increased. The critical nuance for UPSC: rising FLFPR is cited as a success story, but academic analysis shows much of it is distress-driven and unpaid. Correct answer: (b).
Q 2
Which of the following correctly describes the three forms of feminization of agriculture?
The three forms of feminization of agriculture are: (1) High female labour participation — women taking on tasks previously done by men; (2) Rise of female-headed farm households — due to male out-migration, mortality, absenteeism; (3) Improved decision-making power — women gradually gaining authority in agricultural decisions and resource allocation. Options (a) and (c) are desirable goals but not the actual observed forms. Option (d) describes the opposite — women are moving INTO agriculture, not out of it. The key characteristic of feminization is that increased participation has NOT been accompanied by increased resource ownership or policy recognition, making it a complex phenomenon that is simultaneously an opportunity and a vulnerability. Correct answer: (b).
Q 3
Consider the following statements about the UN International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026:
1. The resolution was adopted by the UN General Assembly on May 2, 2024.
2. The resolution was proposed by India and co-sponsored by 50 countries.
3. FAO, IFAD, and WFP are designated as implementing agencies.
4. The Year aims to close gender gaps and promote women's leadership in agrifood systems.
Which are CORRECT?
1. The resolution was adopted by the UN General Assembly on May 2, 2024.
2. The resolution was proposed by India and co-sponsored by 50 countries.
3. FAO, IFAD, and WFP are designated as implementing agencies.
4. The Year aims to close gender gaps and promote women's leadership in agrifood systems.
Which are CORRECT?
Statement 2 is WRONG: The resolution was proposed by the United States of America (not India), and was co-sponsored by 123+ countries (not 50) — including India. India was a co-sponsor, not the proposer. Statement 1 ✅ (Adopted May 2, 2024 by UNGA). Statement 3 ✅ (FAO, in collaboration with other UN Rome-based agencies — IFAD and WFP — is designated to facilitate implementation). Statement 4 ✅ (Key objectives: raise awareness, close gender gaps, promote women's leadership in agrifood systems, encourage gender-responsive policies). The USDA/US government led global efforts to build support for the resolution, with USDA Deputy Secretary Torres Small being the primary champion. Correct answer: (b).
Q 4
Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP) is significant because it:
MKSP (Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana) is a sub-scheme under DAY-NRLM and is significant because it formally recognises women as 'Kisan' (farmer) regardless of land ownership — addressing the core structural barrier that most other agricultural schemes (PM-KISAN, KCC, PMFBY) bypass. It provides training in agroecology, organic farming, seed conservation, and sustainable agriculture through SHG-linked networks. Option (a) describes PM-KISAN (but it excludes non-landholders). Option (b) — SMAM provides 50–80% subsidy, not 90%, and for machinery generally (not exclusively women). Option (d) — MKSP does not provide legal land title; that requires separate land reform legislation. MKSP's unique contribution is the recognition of women as farmers without the land title barrier. Correct answer: (c).
Q 5
FAO estimates that giving women equal access to agricultural resources (land, credit, technology, extension services) could increase their farm yields by what percentage?
The FAO gender gap in agriculture report estimates that providing women farmers with equal access to productive resources (land, seeds, fertilisers, credit, technology, extension services, markets) could increase their farm yields by 20–30%. This is one of the most cited statistics in gender-agriculture discussions for UPSC. The same FAO report notes that closing this gender gap could increase total food production in developing countries by 2.5–4%, reducing hunger for 100–150 million people globally. This statistic is powerful for answer writing: it demonstrates that women's agricultural empowerment is not just a gender justice issue — it is a food security and economic productivity imperative. Correct answer: (c).
0 / 5
