{
  "id": 6611438,
  "title": "Women’s share of farm workforce rises, but land access lags",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/womens-share-of-farm-workforce-rises-but-land-access-lags",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-10T16:12:35.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hindu BusinessLine",
    "slug": "hindu-businessline",
    "url": "https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/womens-share-of-farm-workforce-rises-but-land-access-lags/article71451818.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Women's roles in India's agriculture sector are expanding, with nearly 77% of rural working women now involved in farming, up from 57% in 2017-18. However, this increased participation does not translate into greater control over land and resources. Women only manage 11.72% of the farmed area in India, despite accounting for over 64% of the agricultural workforce. The disparity is evident in land ownership, where women hold just 11.72% of farmed land, compared to men who control 88.28%. Women farm workers earn about 82% of what men earn in agrifood work, indicating a significant gender pay gap. The report, 'Her Harvest: The Hidden Cost of Women’s Invisible Work in Indian Agriculture,' attributes this gender gap to the migration of men to cities and the rise of non-farm employment opportunities for men. Women's unpaid labor on family farms amounts to 47.7% of the agricultural workforce, compared to 20.2% for men. The report highlights that women's unequal access to credit, inputs, and markets creates a cycle of low incomes and limited growth potential. By closing this gap, India could potentially increase agricultural output by 2.5-4%, with women-run farms experiencing a 20-30% increase in yields. To address these issues, the report suggests recognizing women as farmers regardless of land ownership, expanding access to collateral-light credit and warehouse-receipt finance, increasing access to drones and agricultural advisories, and building women-led farmer producer organizations (FPOs) as permanent market institutions.",
  "summary": "Nearly 77% of rural working women are now engaged in agriculture, even as women operate only 11.72% of the farmed area in India",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}