The 2011 census suggests that four out of five women workers in rural India work in agriculture as owner-cultivators or wage workers.
However, women farmers continue to be disadvantaged when it comes to access to agricultural land ownership, compared to men. This often denies them their rightful recognition as farmers which, in turn, inhibits them from accessing the welfare benefits that are entitled to farmers.
Lack of reliable data and poor policy framework are some of the key factors contributing to the disempowerment of women farmers.
In this episode of Land of a Billion, we speak with Shipra Deo, Director of Women's Land Rights at Landesa India, and Pranab Ranjan Choudhury, Researcher and Founder, Center for Land Governance, to understand the various challenges that deny women farmers access to land rights and the hurdles they face in being recognised as farmers.